Health · England
Periods, menopause and your body
Your browser or device provides the reading voice.
Periods and menopause can change how you feel.
You can ask for information and support.
Periods and everyday care
A period is bleeding from your vagina.
Periods are different for different people.
You can choose period products that work for you.
These include pads, period pants, tampons and cups.
Ask for help to use them safely.
You can ask for help with washing or changing.
Your privacy and comfort matter.
Notice changes
Write or draw changes you notice.
Include bleeding, pain, sleep and feelings.
Ask a doctor if periods affect your daily life.
Tell them if bleeding or pain has changed.
Understanding menopause
Menopause is when periods stop because your hormones change.
Hormones are chemicals your body makes.
Changes can start before periods stop.
You may feel hot, sweaty, tired or upset.
Other things can cause these feelings too.
A doctor can help find out what is happening.
Ask about support and treatment choices.
Ask someone to explain the good and bad points.
Decisions and getting help
People should help you understand decisions about your body.
Ask for a way to say stop during an examination.
Tell your doctor about bleeding after menopause.
Tell them even if it happens only once.
Get urgent help if pain is severe or much worse.
You can call NHS 111.
Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency.
Agree what will happen next.
Ask when your symptoms and treatment will be reviewed.
What you can do next
Read the Easy Read guide with someone you choose.
Use the worksheet to prepare for a health appointment.
Read Mencap’s menopause Easy Read Web pageEasy ReadThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- Mencap: menopause Easy Read Web pageEasy Read
Pictures and short explanations, with a downloadable PDF.
- NHS: periods and period products Web pageFuller information
Fuller information about periods, products and changes.
- NHS: menopause and perimenopause symptoms Web pageFuller information
Symptoms, changing periods and when to ask for help.
- NHS: bleeding after menopause Web pageFuller information
Why bleeding after menopause should be assessed.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Periods and menopause: understanding changes and getting support
Practical support with periods, menopause, comfort, privacy and talking to a health professional.
Young people and adults · England · Periods, perimenopause and menopause
Understand what is happening
A period is bleeding from the vagina during the menstrual cycle. The timing and amount can differ between people. Menopause is the stage when periods have stopped because of changes in hormones; the changes leading up to it are called perimenopause. This guide is relevant to anyone who has periods or experiences menopause, including some trans men and non-binary people. Use the words the person understands and prefers.
Choose products and practical support
Pads, period pants, tampons and menstrual cups are different options. Help the person explore what feels comfortable and is manageable for them, considering movement, sensation and communication. Explain the product instructions, including changing or emptying it safely. Agree any help with washing, changing clothes, laundry and disposal. Keep supplies available at home and when going out, without making assumptions about which product someone must use.
Notice the pattern
An optional record can show bleeding dates, discomfort, sleep, mood and effects on everyday activities. Record the person’s own account, or describe what supporters actually noticed. For example, holding the lower tummy is an observation; period pain is one possible explanation. A record can help an appointment, but do not delay asking for help while collecting it. Keep this personal information private.
Get help with painful or heavy periods
Ask a GP if pain or bleeding affects everyday life, periods become more painful or irregular, or bleeding happens between periods or after sex. Tell them about needing to change products very often, bleeding through clothes, tiredness or breathlessness. A warm bath or suitable heat pad may help discomfort if it can be used safely. Ask a pharmacist or clinician about appropriate pain relief, especially alongside other medicines or health conditions.
Recognise possible menopause symptoms
Perimenopause may involve changing periods, sudden feelings of heat, sweating at night, disturbed sleep, mood changes, difficulty concentrating or vaginal discomfort. Symptoms vary and can affect relationships and activities. They can also have other causes. Do not assume new distress is simply part of a learning disability, dementia or menopause. Discuss changes with a GP, including symptoms that appear earlier than expected.
Ask about treatment choices
A clinician can explain options for troublesome periods or menopause symptoms. These may include changes to practical support, medicines, hormonal treatments or other therapies. Hormone replacement therapy is usually called HRT. Discuss possible benefits, risks, alternatives and how treatment will be reviewed in this person’s circumstances. Do not start, stop or change prescribed hormones without suitable clinical advice. Supporters should not select treatment simply to make care routines easier.
Keep decisions and consent personal
Explain an examination or treatment in an accessible way and allow questions, time and a way to say stop. A learning disability does not itself mean someone cannot decide. For people aged 16 and over, any concern about capacity must relate to the particular decision and follow the Mental Capacity Act. If the person cannot make it despite support, a lawful best-interests process is needed. Relatives and support workers do not automatically have authority to consent for an adult.
Respect comfort, identity and privacy
Ask who the person wants to support them and what makes intimate care or appointments easier. This may include a preferred clinician, a chaperone, a familiar supporter, extra time or a quiet place. Explain what can be arranged rather than promise a particular professional. Do not discuss intimate information in shared spaces. Help the person keep doing activities they choose, with access to toilets, changing facilities and breaks.
Bleeding after menopause needs checking
Contact a GP if bleeding occurs after periods have stopped for 12 months because of menopause. This includes a small amount, spotting or pink or brown discharge, even once. It often has a non-cancer cause, but it needs assessment. HRT can affect bleeding patterns: ask the prescriber what to expect and report unexpected, persistent or heavier bleeding. Do not decide that HRT is the cause without advice.
Know when help is urgent
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if pelvic or period pain is severe or worse than usual and usual pain relief has not helped. Tell the clinician if pregnancy is possible. Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency, such as collapse with unresponsiveness or severe blood loss. Use the urgent-health guide if you are unsure how to get help.
Plan follow-up and wider health care
Agree how and when results, treatment effects and ongoing symptoms will be reviewed. A trusted supporter can help record questions and understand the answers. Hormonal contraception can change periods, and pregnancy can still be possible during perimenopause. Ask for individual contraception advice rather than deciding that missed periods mean it can stop. Continue to discuss relevant screening and sexual health needs with the health team.
Words you could use
“My periods or body changes are affecting me in these ways. Please explain the possible causes, support and treatment choices in a way I can understand.”
More useful links
- Mencap: menopause Easy Read Web pageEasy Read
Pictures and short explanations, with a downloadable PDF.
- NHS: periods and period products Web pageFuller information
Fuller information about periods, products and changes.
- NHS: menopause and perimenopause symptoms Web pageFuller information
Symptoms, changing periods and when to ask for help.
- NHS: bleeding after menopause Web pageFuller information
Why bleeding after menopause should be assessed.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 1 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- NHS: periods Web pageFuller information
Menstrual cycles, products and changes that need assessment.
- NHS: period problems Web pageFuller information
Symptom records and help when periods affect daily life.
- NHS: period pain Web pageFuller information
Comfort measures, assessment and urgent advice for severe pain.
- NHS: menopause and perimenopause symptoms Web pageFuller information
Symptoms, contraceptive effects and changes requiring advice.
- NICE NG23: menopause recommendations Web pageProfessional guidance
Individualised discussions of benefits, risks and treatment choices.
- NHS: bleeding after menopause Web pageFuller information
Assessment is needed even for a small or one-off episode.
- NHS: consent to treatment Web pageFuller information
Voluntary, informed decisions and support before examinations and treatment.
- NHS: Mental Capacity Act Web pageFuller information
Support to decide, decision-specific capacity and best interests from age 16.
- NHS: support when going into hospital Web pageFuller information
Communication support, reasonable adjustments and time to understand care.
- London Ambulance Service: when to call 999 Web pageFuller information
Emergency help for unconsciousness, severe blood loss and other life-threatening events.
A page for you to fill in
You can type your answers and download a copy.
You can also print a page to write or draw on.
Someone you trust can help you.