Menopause and Women’s Health: Why We Need to Stop Normalising Our Symptoms
Periods can change during perimenopause, and I think that's partly what makes it so easy to accept changes in our bodies as something we simply have to get on with. My experience has made me question how often we do that, particularly as women, and how long we put up with symptoms before asking again.
If you've noticed more conversation lately about the "gender pain gap" or "medical misogyny", you're not imagining it. Terms that used to live in activist circles are now in government strategy documents, and that's genuine progress. But if you've also felt like none of that progress has shown up in your own GP appointment, or, like me, found it easier to stop mentioning something than to keep bringing it up, you're not imagining that either.
So, here's where things really stand, and what I think it means for how we look after ourselves in the meantime.
About Me
Before we continue, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Lorraine Bellis, the proud owner of Herbs of Grace.
Women’s health is something we care deeply about, not just because of the work we do, but because of our own experiences as women. We know how easy it is to put our health further down the list, accept symptoms as “normal” and simply get on with things.
At Herbs of Grace, we want women to feel informed and confident talking about their health through every stage of life, including periods, perimenopause and menopause.
That’s why sharing my own experience felt important. If it encourages even one woman to speak up about something she’s quietly been putting up with, then it’s worth it.
This is personal, and I’ll admit I feel some embarrassment speaking about my own experiences, even though I know I’m not an isolated case.
For years, I put up with heavy periods, really heavy, "plan your day around the nearest toilet" heavy, and I never went back to the GP about it after the first time or two. It felt easier to just manage it than to keep going back. I wanted to believe that the first answer was the right one, even though deep down I knew better.
It was only when I started HRT for menopause symptoms and mentioned the bleeding again, almost as an aside, that anyone looked properly. They found a fibroid and polyps that had likely been there, and been the actual cause, for a long time. Years of flooding that I'd quietly filed away as "just how my periods are" turned out to be something entirely treatable once someone finally investigated.
Women’s Health in the UK: The Good News
In April 2026, the government published a Renewed Women's Health Strategy for England, setting out plans to improve women's health and healthcare over the next 10 years. The strategy includes a focus on menstrual and menopause care, gynaecological services and women's experiences of pain.
Gynaecology waiting lists have started to fall and menopause guidance is more evidence-based than it's ever been. None of this is nothing.
There is more recognition of women's health issues, more conversation around menopause and menstrual health, and more acknowledgement that women's experiences of pain haven't always been taken as seriously as they should have been. The problem is that recognising something and having the capacity to do something about it aren't quite the same thing.
The Reality of Gynaecology and Menopause Care in the UK
The honest headline is that capacity, not awareness, is now the bottleneck.
Gynaecology has one of the largest waiting lists in the NHS, with hundreds of thousands of women waiting for care, many of them for extended periods.
The average time between first seeking help and receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis remains measured in years, despite much greater awareness of the condition. Access to specialist menopause care also varies depending on where you live, while training and knowledge around menopause can differ between healthcare professionals.
There are inequalities elsewhere in women's healthcare too, with maternal health outcomes continuing to differ according to factors including ethnicity and deprivation. Research around the "gender pain gap" also backs this up from the patient side, with women reporting experiences of having pain dismissed or normalised by healthcare professionals.
That word, "normal", is something I keep coming back to because once you've been told something is normal, particularly more than once, it's very easy to start thinking the problem is you. Perhaps you're not coping with it as well as everyone else, perhaps you're making too much of it, or perhaps it's easier to just get on with things. I know that's what I did.
The strategy is right, the intent is real and some things are moving in the right direction. But many of the challenges recognised today aren't new. For me, the practical takeaway is simple: don't wait for the system to catch up before you advocate for yourself.
When Should You Speak to Your GP About Heavy Periods or Other Symptoms?
Speaking up again is hard, and that's exactly why it matters. I understand the instinct to let it drop because going back a second or third time about the same thing can feel like you're being difficult, or that you should just be coping better.
In hindsight, my heavy bleeding wasn't "just how my periods are". It was a symptom I'd stopped mentioning because I didn't want to seem like I was making a fuss. That instinct is common, and it's exactly what can let treatable things go unnoticed for years.
If something has been going on long enough that you've quietly built a way of living around it, that's usually the sign it's worth raising again, not evidence that it's fine. For me, that meant planning around toilets and accepting flooding as part of my life. For someone else, it could mean arranging life around pain, avoiding certain activities or simply getting used to feeling unwell.
Sometimes the adaptations we make tell us more about the impact of a symptom than the symptom itself.
How to Advocate for Yourself at a GP or Menopause Appointment
If you've been to the GP multiple times about the same symptom and been told it's "normal", don't be afraid to ask why a decision has been made not to investigate or refer you, and what would need to change for that decision to be reconsidered. If, like me, you've simply stopped mentioning something, that's worth noticing too.
Keeping a simple symptom diary can help. Note dates, severity and the impact on your daily life, including the changes you've made to live around the problem. They're often the clearest evidence of how much something is actually affecting you.
It's not about going into an appointment convinced you know what's wrong with you. It's about being able to explain clearly what's happening and asking questions when something doesn't add up.
It's also worth knowing what options are available if you don't feel your concerns have been heard. Measures such as Martha's Rule and Jess's Rule have been introduced to give patients clearer routes for escalation or reconsideration when there are concerns about their diagnosis or care.
Finding Reliable Menopause and Women’s Health Advice
With waiting lists this long, it's natural to look for answers elsewhere, and there is no shortage of them. Do your research, but choose your sources carefully.
The NHS website, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Endometriosis UK, the British Menopause Society and Wellbeing of Women are good places to start. These resources can give you the right language and questions to bring back to a clinician, helping you to have a more useful conversation rather than trying to replace the appointment altogether.
The same goes for talking to other women. Friends, family and online communities can be genuinely valuable because it's often where women first hear "that happened to me too" and realise their experience is real, not imagined. That validation matters, but one woman's experience isn't a diagnosis and what worked for someone else's body isn't necessarily a treatment plan for yours.
Peer conversation is best used to build the confidence to push for proper investigation, rather than as a substitute for it. It's worth noticing when a discussion thread starts shaping what you believe is wrong with you before a consultation has even happened.
Don’t Assume You Just Have to Put Up With It
The direction of travel in women's health is genuinely encouraging. The conversations are happening, the problems are being recognised and there are signs of progress, but we're not there yet.
For now, the most reliable accelerant for getting good care isn't waiting for the strategy to deliver. It's walking into the room prepared, informed by the right sources and ready to ask twice if the first answer doesn't add up.
I wish I'd asked twice, sooner. If this sounds at all familiar, consider this your nudge to.
Menotune: Herbal Support for Menopause Symptoms
One of the ways we support women through perimenopause and menopause at Herbs of Grace is with Menotune, our herbal menopause supplement.
Menotune combines Chaste Tree Berry, Sage Leaf, Red Clover Flowers, Schisandra Berry, Alfalfa Leaf, Shatavari Root and Licorice Root. The blend has been developed to support women through the menopausal transition, using herbs traditionally associated with women's wellbeing and common menopause concerns such as hot flushes, night sweats and disrupted sleep.
Each capsule contains a minimum of 400mg of pure powdered ingredients, with no fillers, binders or artificial ingredients. The capsules are made in the UK and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
As I've hopefully made clear throughout this article, we don't believe that natural support should mean ignoring symptoms or replacing good medical care. Every woman's experience of perimenopause and menopause is different, so if your symptoms are affecting your daily life, speak to a healthcare professional.
If you take HRT or hormonal contraceptives, or are being treated for a hormone-related health condition, you should also consult a healthcare professional before taking Menotune.