Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- 21-hydroxylase antibodies
- Antibodies that attack the adrenal glands; a positive test signals a risk of Addison's disease.
- Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency)
- A condition in which the adrenal glands do not make enough of certain hormones, which can cause a life-threatening adrenal crisis.
- Amenorrhoea
- The absence of periods.
- Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)
- A hormone that gives an indication of how many eggs remain in the ovaries.
- British Menopause Society (BMS)
- The United Kingdom specialist society for health professionals working in menopause care.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Combined hormonal contraception (CHC)
- Contraception containing both an oestrogen and a progestogen, such as the combined pill, patch or ring.
- Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The laws governing how personal information, including health records, is collected, used and kept.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
- A low-dose X-ray scan that measures bone density.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong that causes, or could cause, significant harm.
- Early menopause
- Menopause between the ages of 40 and 45.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination, including on grounds of sex, gender reassignment and disability.
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
- A European professional society that publishes evidence-based guidelines on reproductive medicine, including premature ovarian insufficiency.
- FMR1 premutation
- A change in the gene linked to fragile X syndrome that can cause premature ovarian insufficiency and can be passed on in families.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- A hormone that rises in the blood when the ovaries are no longer working normally.
- Fraser guidelines
- Criteria used when deciding whether to give contraceptive advice or treatment to a person under 16 without parental involvement.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers and regulates pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- The patient's family doctor.
- Genetic counselling
- A specialist appointment explaining a genetic result, what it means for the patient and relatives, and the choices available.
- Gillick competence
- Whether a person under 16 has enough understanding and maturity to consent to their own treatment.
- Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)
- A blood test showing average blood sugar over the previous two to three months.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards that registered providers must meet, enforced by the CQC.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Medicines that replace the oestrogen, and where needed progestogen, that the ovaries no longer make.
- Iatrogenic
- Caused by medical treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- International units per litre (IU/L)
- The unit used to report FSH levels in the blood.
- Karyotype
- A test that looks at a person's chromosomes for changes in their number or structure.
- Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS)
- A small device placed in the womb that releases progestogen; the 52 mg device can protect the womb lining during HRT.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The United Kingdom regulator of medicines and medical devices.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body that publishes national evidence-based guidance on health and care in England.
- NICE NG23
- The NICE guideline Menopause: identification and management.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The body that registers and regulates nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom.
- Off-label
- Use of a licensed medicine outside the terms of its licence, for example at a higher dose.
- Oocyte donation
- Fertility treatment using eggs donated by another person.
- Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)
- Loss of normal ovarian function before the age of 40.
- Progestogen
- A hormone given with oestrogen to protect the lining of the womb.
- Records Management Code of Practice (2023)
- National guidance on how long health records are kept and how they are managed.
- Single assessment framework
- The framework the CQC uses to assess services, built around five key questions and quality statements.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written step-by-step instruction for carrying out a task consistently and safely.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The approved document describing how a specific medicine should be used, including its licensed doses.
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- A blood test used to check how well the thyroid gland is working.
- Turner syndrome
- A chromosomal condition affecting females, caused by a missing or altered X chromosome, which commonly causes POI and can affect the heart.
- UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (UKMEC)
- National criteria used to judge whether a contraceptive method is safe for a person with particular health conditions.
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- A blood clot in a vein, such as in the leg or lungs.