For patients
Women’s Health Concern (WHC), established in 1972 and the patient arm of the BMS since 2012. WHC provides independent advice to inform and reassure women about their gynaecological, sexual and post reproductive health.
Quick links to online help and advice
- WHC factsheets and other helpful resources: evidence-based resources for women and their partners, regularly reviewed and updated.
- Menopause Wellness Hub: lay the foundations for good health through perimenopause, menopause, and the years to come.
- BMS TV: a series of short videos for both healthcare professionals and women and their partners.
Menopause: Giving you confidence for understanding and action
A series of factsheets on menopause and related issues, incorporating recommendations from both national and international guidelines.
The factsheets are evidence-based and are regularly reviewed and updated by the British Menopause Society medical advisory council, providing a trusted source of information for women and their partners.
Latest news
Menopause Wellness Hub
Lay the foundations for good health through perimenopause, menopause, and the years to come.
@womenshealthconcern on Instagram
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) isn`t just for anxiety or depression, it`s also a well-evidenced, non-medical approach for menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems, low mood and stress. It can be used on its own, or alongside HRT.
Your physical symptoms, thoughts, feelings and behaviour are all linked. Change how you respond to one, and you can shift the others too.
A classic example is hot flushes, thinking "everyone`s looking at me, I can`t cope" tends to increase anxiety and tension, which can intensify the flush itself.
Learning calmer, more accepting responses (helped by simple techniques like paced breathing) can make flushes feel more manageable, even if the frequency doesn`t change.
These are learnable skills that take practice, not instant fixes — but the evidence behind them is genuinely strong.
#CBTForMenopause #MenopauseSupport #WomensHealthConcern #MentalWellbeing #EvidenceBasedHealth
Search "menopause diet" online and you`ll find endless conflicting advice: cut this, add that, buy this supplement. It`s a lot of noise.
Perimenopause and menopause are a good time to review your diet, not by overhauling everything overnight, but with a few evidence-based priorities: enough calcium (700–1200mg a day, depending on your individual risk) and vitamin D for bone health, 30g of fibre a day for heart and gut health, good-quality protein for muscle maintenance, and no more than 6g of salt a day for blood pressure.
Some women also find that soya-containing foods (eaten in specific daily amounts over 2–3 months) help with hot flush severity, though the evidence is mixed and this isn`t right for everyone (women with a history of breast cancer should avoid the larger serving sizes used for symptom relief). No specific supplements are routinely recommended for menopause, and supplements can`t replace HRT or a balanced diet.
Click the link in our bio for a full nutrition factsheet ⬆️
#MenopauseNutrition #WomensHealthConcern #BoneHealth #HealthyEatingHabits #EvidenceBasedHealth
Vaginal dryness is one of the most common menopausal symptoms and one of the least talked about. Many women suffer in silence, assuming it`s just something to put up with.
It isn`t.
Falling estrogen levels change the tissue of the vagina and vulva, which can cause dryness, discomfort, itching or pain during sex.
The good news: this is very treatable, from vaginal moisturisers and lubricants to local (low-dose, vaginal) estrogen, which is safe for the vast majority of women — including many who can`t take systemic HRT.
⬆️ Read our full factsheet for more detail — link in bio.
#VaginalHealth #MenopauseSymptoms #WomensHealthConcern #UrogenitalHealth #MenopauseSupport
Testosterone tends to get filed under "male hormone", but women produce it too, alongside estrogen and progesterone, and levels naturally fall as we get older. Some women barely notice; others (particularly those with surgical menopause or Premature Ovarian Insufficiency) feel the change more.
Right now, testosterone is recommended specifically for persistent low sex drive that concerns you (Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder), and only once other possible causes have been addressed, including whether your estrogen replacement is adequate. It`s usually given alongside HRT, most often as a daily gel. It doesn`t work for everyone, and there isn`t currently enough evidence to recommend it for low energy, low mood, fatigue or brain fog, even though it`s sometimes talked about online as a fix for all of these.
It`s also worth knowing that testosterone products aren`t currently licensed for women in the UK, so they`re prescribed "off licence" — your prescriber should explain what that means. Access can also vary depending on where you live and your prescriber`s experience with it.
Read our full testosterone factsheet via the link in our bio ⬆️
#TestosteroneForWomen #MenopauseSupport #WomensHealthConcern #HSDD #EvidenceBasedHealth
September is #PerimenopauseAwarenessMonth
"Am I in perimenopause or menopause?" is one of the most common questions healthcare professionals hear and the terminology can be confusing.
- Perimenopause is the transition phase leading up to your final period, when hormone levels start to fluctuate and symptoms often begin.
- Menopause itself is a single point in time, officially reached 12 months after your last period.
- Postmenopause is everything after that.
Knowing where you are in this transition can help you make sense of your symptoms and have more focused conversations with your doctor.
Click the link in our bio to read our full Q&A.
#MenopauseSupport #HRT #WomensHealthConcern #PerimenopauseAwareness
What does ‘bioidentical HRT’ mean?
‘Bioidentical’ means that the hormones have the same structure as hormones naturally produced by the body. Importantly, some HRT medicines available in the UK are already bioidentical or body identical) and are regulated and licensed for use.
You may also hear about compounded bioidentical HRT, which is made by specialist pharmacies. Unlike licensed HRT medicines, these products do not go through the same regulatory checks and have not been tested in the same way for their safety and effectiveness.
Compounded bioidentical HRT is not recommended. The potential benefits of bioidentical HRT can be achieved using regulated, licensed medicines.
Bioidentical doesn’t automatically mean compounded and compounded doesn’t mean safer. If you’re not sure speak to your healthcare professional.
#MenopauseSupport #HRT #WomensHealthConcern #PerimenopauseAwareness #EvidenceBasedHealth
Gender Language Policy
Women’s Health Concern (WHC) recognises that patients have diverse gender identities. In our publications, literature, and other printed and digital materials, WHC uses the word “woman” (and the pronouns “she” and “her”) to describe patients or individuals whose sex assigned at birth was female, whether they identify as female, male, or non-binary.
As gender language continues to evolve in the scientific and medical communities, WHC will periodically reassess this usage and will make appropriate adjustments as necessary. When describing or referencing study populations used in research, WHC will use the gender terminology reported by the study investigators.
NICE menopause guideline – patient information
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline Menopause: identification and management (NG23) was updated for healthcare professionals on 7 November 2024.
The guideline is designed to ensure that menopause or the time leading up to it is identified by healthcare professionals as early as possible, so that you get the support you need.
Support us
If you would like to make a donation to support the work of Women’s Health Concern, we would love to talk to you.
Please contact the WHC team using our website contact form and we will be in touch.
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