In brief
In brief
You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis. Bring a concise picture of what is changing and what you want from the conversation. NICE recommends individualised care and shared decisions, which means your priorities, medical history and preferences belong in the room alongside clinical evidence.
- Your three most disruptive symptoms, when they began and how they affect sleep, work, relationships, sex or exercise.
- Period changes, contraception and the date of your last period if known.
- Current medicines, supplements, allergies, relevant medical history and important family history.
- What you have tried, what helped, what did not and any side effects.
- Your preferred outcome: information, assessment, symptom relief, treatment options, referral or reassurance about a specific concern.
Sources
Where this guidance comes from
GlowUp checked this article against the sources below on 25 August 2026. This is source-checked editorial information, not a claim of independent medical review.
- Menopause: identification and management (NG23) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence · updated 15 April 2026 · accessed 25 August 2026
- Shared decision making (NG197) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence · accessed 25 August 2026
- Treatment for symptoms of the menopause Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists · updated 1 May 2026 · accessed 25 August 2026