Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Amenorrhoea
- Absence of periods.
- Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)
- A hormone reflecting remaining egg supply; not used to diagnose menopause.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A measure of weight relative to height.
- BRCA
- Genes which, when altered, greatly increase breast and ovarian cancer risk.
- British Menopause Society (BMS)
- The United Kingdom specialist society for menopause care professionals.
- Carcinoid syndrome
- Flushing, diarrhoea and wheeze caused by hormones from certain rare tumours.
- Chaperone
- An impartial observer present during an intimate examination.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- A talking therapy changing how people think about and respond to symptoms.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care in England.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- United Kingdom law, alongside the UK GDPR, governing use of personal data.
- Differential diagnosis
- Other conditions that could explain the symptoms.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest when care goes wrong.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination.
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
- The professional society that published the 2024 international POI guideline.
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Non-medical procedures that injure the female genital organs; illegal in the United Kingdom.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- A hormone that rises as the ovaries stop working.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The regulator of doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The regulator of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A community doctor who usually holds the patient's main medical record.
- Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)
- A blood test showing average blood sugar, used to check for diabetes.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The fundamental standards registered providers must meet.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Oestrogen, usually with a progestogen, used to relieve menopausal symptoms.
- Hyperprolactinaemia
- A raised prolactin level, which can stop periods; sometimes caused by a pituitary tumour.
- IU/L
- International units per litre, the unit for FSH results.
- Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS)
- A hormone-releasing device placed in the womb.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law on deciding whether a person can make a particular decision.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body publishing evidence-based health guidance for England.
- NG12 and NG23
- The NICE guidelines on suspected cancer referral and on menopause.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom.
- Oestradiol
- The main oestrogen produced by the ovaries.
- Perimenopause
- The years of hormonal change before the final period.
- Phaeochromocytoma
- A rare adrenal tumour causing episodes of sweating, headache and palpitations.
- Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)
- Loss of normal ovarian function before age 40.
- Records Management Code of Practice (2023)
- Guidance on how long health records are kept and how they are managed.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP)
- A step-by-step procedure document.
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- A blood test checking thyroid function.
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- Temporary stroke-like symptoms; a medical emergency.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The United Kingdom's main data protection law.
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- A blood clot in a vein, such as in the leg or lung.