The Female Atlas
By The Female Atlas team
Published 2026-11-15 · Updated 2026-11-15
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Women's health conditions: where to start

Women's health conditions are listed here by life stage, from childhood to postmenopause, and many are common: endometriosis and PCOS each affect about 1 in 10 women (NICE NG73; International PCOS Guideline, 2023). To find one, look for your stage's label at the start of each line in the list below, or begin with what changes in childhood if you are reading for a young daughter.

Each condition is filed under the stage where it most often first comes up, though many span several. The stage guides give the background: for adolescence, the signs of puberty in girls; for the years of regular cycles, the menstrual cycle phases; for the transition that follows, perimenopause symptoms; for the time around the final period, menopause symptoms; and for the years after, postmenopause symptoms. Each condition page sets out what is common, what helps and when a visit is worthwhile.

  • Early and late puberty: Childhood: puberty signs that arrive ahead of the usual window, and what a pediatrician (paediatrician in the UK) looks at.
  • Irregular and missed periods: Puberty: which cycle patterns are typical in the first few years, and which are worth checking once they settle.
  • Menstrual cramps (period pain): Puberty: cramps that ease with ibuprofen or a hot water bottle, and pain that deserves a closer look.
  • Heavy periods: Puberty: heavy menstrual bleeding (heavy periods or menorrhagia in the UK), its causes and care.
  • RED-S: Puberty: under-fueling in sport, with warning signs such as frequent injuries, stress fractures and low mood.
  • Iron deficiency: Reproductive years: why periods and pregnancy draw on iron stores, and how low iron is treated.
  • Endometriosis: Reproductive years: pelvic pain, how a diagnosis is reached and what helps along the way.
  • PCOS: Reproductive years: irregular cycles, acne with excess hair growth, and the treatments on offer.
  • PMS and PMDD: Reproductive years: severe premenstrual mood symptoms and the effective treatments that exist.
  • Hot flashes and night sweats: Perimenopause: hot flashes (hot flushes in the UK) and night sweats, with options to explore.
  • Insomnia: Perimenopause: trouble falling asleep or waking early, and routines that support better nights.
  • Low and high estrogen: Perimenopause: how falling estrogen (oestrogen in the UK) speeds up muscle and bone loss, and what supports both.
  • Early menopause and POI: Menopause: menopause that arrives earlier than expected, how it is recognized and what care involves.
  • Vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms: Menopause: vaginal dryness, discomfort and urinary changes, and how they are treated.
  • Osteoporosis and bone density: Postmenopause: how to protect bone built earlier in life through the later decades.
  • Sarcopenia and muscle loss: Postmenopause: muscle that responds less to protein and training, and the heavy progressive lifting that supports strength.
  • Falls in older women: Postmenopause: balance and strength work, and changes at home that help you stay steady.

Facts

Endometriosis and PCOS each affect about 1 in 10 women; endometriosis often takes 7 years or more to diagnose. 1 in 10; 7+ years
NICE NG73: Endometriosis diagnosis and management; International PCOS Guideline · 2023
Around 90% of adult bone mass is built by age 18; peak bone mass sets fracture risk after menopause. ~90% by 18
Weaver et al., Osteoporosis International (National Osteoporosis Foundation position on peak bone mass) · 2016
Lost or irregular periods, frequent injuries, stress fractures and low mood are warning signs of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
Mountjoy et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (IOC consensus on RED-S) · 2023
Typical early cycles run 21–45 days, with bleeding for 2–7 days. 21–45 days; 2–7 days
ACOG Committee Opinion 651: menstruation in girls and adolescents as a vital sign · 2015
Bone loss is fastest around the final period and the first years after, about 2% a year. ~2%/year
SWAN (Greendale et al., Journal of Bone and Mineral Research) · 2012
Teenagers need 15 mg of iron a day (14.8 mg in the UK); needs rise once periods start. 15 mg/day
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: calcium, iron and vitamin D intakes; National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) for UK teenagers · 2024
Soaking a pad or tampon every 1–2 hours, bleeding longer than 7 days, clots bigger than a quarter, or periods more than 3 months apart once settled are signs to see a doctor. every 1–2 h; >7 days; >3 months apart
ACOG Committee Opinion 651: menstruation in girls and adolescents as a vital sign · 2015

Common questions

What helps when a diagnosis is taking a long time?

A slow path is common: endometriosis often takes 7 years or more to diagnose (NICE NG73). A period diary is a good place to start, since notes on cycle length, heaviness, pain and mood give a doctor useful evidence. A primary care provider or OB-GYN (a GP or gynaecologist in the UK) is a sensible first stop.

When are heavy periods worth a doctor's visit?

Heavy periods are common, but common doesn't mean you have to put up with them. A family history of heavy bleeding or easy bruising is worth sharing, since heavy periods from the start can be a sign of an inherited bleeding disorder such as von Willebrand disease. A doctor can check this with a simple blood test.

How is low iron found and treated?

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in women of reproductive age, mostly from periods and pregnancy (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). A ferritin blood test shows your stores; under 30 ng/mL (30 µg/L) means they are low. Supplements are best taken as prescribed after a test, since more is not better.

What can missing periods mean?

Periods can pause or space out for several reasons, including pregnancy, PCOS and thyroid conditions, so a gap of more than 3 months once cycles have settled is worth checking. With hard training, the IOC consensus on RED-S (Mountjoy et al., 2023) adds under-fueling as a possible cause. A doctor or sports doctor can help work out which applies.

When should I see a doctor promptly?

Raising something early is a way to get answers. Four signs are worth a prompt visit at any stage: any bleeding 12 months or more after your last period (a GP is the first stop in the UK, a primary care provider or OB-GYN in the US), a new breast lump or any breast change, unexplained weight loss, or symptoms that are getting worse.

Next steps

A good next step is to open the stage guide closest to where you are now, then a condition page under that stage's label. Each page names the guideline behind its figures, so you can take it into a conversation with your own doctor. Two women at the same stage can need quite different things, so choose the pages and the pace that suit your own body and life: not one size fits all.

Sources

The guidelines and studies this page draws on.

  1. NICE NG73: Endometriosis diagnosis and management, NICE (2017)
  2. International PCOS Guideline, Monash University and partner organizations (2023)
  3. Weaver et al.: National Osteoporosis Foundation position on peak bone mass, Osteoporosis International (2016)
  4. Mountjoy et al.: IOC consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), British Journal of Sports Medicine (2023)
  5. ACOG Committee Opinion 651: menstruation in girls and adolescents as a vital sign, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2015)
  6. SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation): Greendale et al., bone changes through the menopause transition, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2012)
  7. Calcium, iron and vitamin D intakes, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (2024)
  8. National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS): iron, calcium and vitamin D intakes in UK teenagers, UK Government (Public Health England / OHID) (2020)