About this library

National Women's Health is an independent editorial resource, not a medical practice or a government body, and its pages are information rather than personal medical advice.

The library exists because the subjects it covers are handled badly almost everywhere else. Pelvic floor problems, genitourinary symptoms after menopause, pain during sex and vulval skin conditions are common, treatable and poorly explained. They are also the subjects most likely to be met with a shrug, a euphemism, or a page written to sell something. The result is a large number of people who assume that a fixable symptom is simply what happens after having children or reaching a certain age.

What the library is

A set of reference pages, written in plain English, organised by section, and reviewed on a fixed date. Each topic answers the same questions in the same order: what the thing is, what typically causes it, what usually helps, what a clinician can do, and when a symptom should be looked at without waiting. The structure is deliberately repetitive, because a reader who has read one page should be able to find the equivalent information on any other page without hunting for it.

What it is not

There is nothing to join, no membership, no newsletter, no donation, no course and no consultation. Nobody can be booked through this site. It does not represent a profession, an institution or a campaign, and it does not speak on behalf of any body whose guidance it follows.

It also does not diagnose. A page can describe what a condition usually looks like; it cannot see a symptom, take a history, or examine anyone. Every topic is written to be read alongside professional care.

Editorial approach

Three rules govern what appears. First, accuracy before completeness: if a claim cannot be stated confidently, it is left out rather than hedged into meaninglessness. Second, no false certainty: where evidence is limited or contested, the page says so plainly instead of picking whichever answer reads better. Third, no invented authority. There are no named authors with fabricated titles, no invented statistics, no citations to studies that were never read, and no claim of accreditation or affiliation. Pages are published under the site name.

Red flag symptoms appear on every page where they are relevant, in the same place, in the same format. Postmenopausal bleeding, unexplained lumps, persistent unexplained pain, sudden severe pain and signs of infection with fever are stated as reasons to seek assessment rather than reasons to read further.

The editorial standards page describes the writing and review process in more detail and names the bodies whose public guidance the library follows.

Language

Anatomical terms are used correctly and consistently. Vulva describes the external structures, vagina describes the internal canal, and the two are not used interchangeably, because the confusion between them causes genuine problems in consultations. Where a technical term is unavoidable, it is defined on first use and then used properly, rather than replaced with something vaguer.

Corrections

If a page contains an error, a description that no longer reflects current guidance, or wording that is misleading in practice, it is worth reporting. Corrections are made to the page itself and the review date is updated. Messages can be sent to the address on the contact page.