In brief
In brief
You can say the anatomical word, use your own word, write it down or hand the clinician your phone. The aim is not to sound clinical; it is to communicate enough for safe assessment. Dryness, burning, itching, pain during sex, urinary urgency and repeated UTI-like symptoms can occur in this stage and can also have other causes.
- ‘I have dryness or burning in or around my vagina, and it has lasted ___.’
- ‘Sex has become painful at the entrance/deeper inside, so I have been avoiding it.’
- ‘I need to urinate more often/urgently, or I keep getting symptoms that feel like a UTI.’
- ‘I have noticed discharge, bleeding, sores, a lump or skin changes.’
- ‘My desire has changed, and I want to discuss physical, emotional and treatment factors without assumptions.’
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
- Vaginal dryness NHS · accessed 25 August 2026
- Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause NHS · updated 19 May 2026 · accessed 25 August 2026