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Menopause & Hormones
Searchable glossary & flashcardsMenopause medical terms glossary: HRT, GSM and FSH
Learn menopause medical terms in plain language. Search HRT, MHT, GSM, VMS and FSH, reveal flashcard definitions, or print a short glossary.
Understand the words in a conversation, letter or article. These original learning cards explain terminology; they do not diagnose symptoms, interpret lab values or choose treatment.
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Ten useful definitions
A plain-language menopause glossary
All 10 terms. Each includes a definition, a detail to keep in mind and a conversation question.
Stages
Perimenopause
The menopause transition
The transition around menopause, when hormone patterns and menstrual cycles can change. Symptoms may begin before periods stop.
A change in your periods does not, by itself, establish that you are in perimenopause.
A question you could ask
How are you assessing the changes I have noticed?
Stages
Menopause
The end of menstrual periods
Natural menopause is recognized after 12 months without a period, when another cause does not explain the absence.
Hormonal contraception, surgery and other circumstances can make menstrual timing harder to interpret. This definition is not a personal diagnosis.
A question you could ask
Does the usual period-based definition apply in my circumstances?
Stages
Postmenopause
The stage after menopause
The stage of life after menopause has been established.
The word describes a stage, not how you should feel or whether you need treatment.
A question you could ask
What does this stage mean for the care we are discussing?
Symptom terms
VMS
Vasomotor symptoms
A clinical umbrella term for hot flashes and night sweats.
Knowing this abbreviation does not show that menopause is the cause of a particular episode of sweating.
A question you could ask
When you say VMS, which symptoms are you referring to?
Symptom terms
GSM
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause
A term for genital and urinary changes associated with reduced estrogen around menopause, including vaginal dryness or discomfort.
Similar symptoms can have other causes. Reading this term is not enough to identify the cause of your symptoms.
A question you could ask
What should be checked before we attribute these symptoms to GSM?
Hormones & care
HRT / MHT / HT
Hormone replacement therapy / menopausal hormone therapy / hormone therapy
Names used for hormone treatment in menopause care. Depending on the context, treatment may involve estrogen alone or estrogen with a progestogen.
The abbreviation does not specify the product, dose, route or schedule, or whether it suits you.
A question you could ask
Which hormones and exact treatment do you mean here?
Hormones & care
Estrogen
Also spelled oestrogen
A family of hormones involved in reproductive function and other body systems. Estrogen is also used in some menopause treatments.
The hormone name alone does not identify a particular medicine or how it is used.
A question you could ask
Are we talking about a hormone my body makes or a prescribed medicine?
Hormones & care
Progestogen
A hormone category that includes progesterone
A category of hormones with progesterone-like actions. Progesterone is one member; synthetic versions are called progestins.
These related words do not make different medicines interchangeable.
A question you could ask
Which specific progestogen is being discussed, and what is its role?
Hormones & care
Endometrium
The lining of the uterus
The tissue lining the inside of the uterus, also called the womb.
The word names a tissue. It does not, by itself, describe a disease or a test result.
A question you could ask
What are you explaining about the lining of my uterus?
Tests
FSH
Follicle-stimulating hormone
A hormone made by the pituitary gland that helps regulate ovarian function and the menstrual cycle. A blood test can measure its level.
FSH changes over time. A result needs clinical context; this glossary cannot interpret a value or decide whether testing is needed.
A question you could ask
What question would an FSH test answer in my situation?
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What do GSM, VMS and HRT mean in menopause care?
GSM stands for genitourinary syndrome of menopause, VMS for vasomotor symptoms, and HRT for hormone replacement therapy. Open the glossary entries for plain-language definitions and useful context. Knowing the abbreviation does not establish a diagnosis or choose a treatment.
Can I practice and print the menopause flashcards?
Practice mode covers each meaning until you select Reveal meaning. Previous and Next move through the matching terms without a timer or score. Printing produces a readable glossary of those terms, including every definition and conversation question, regardless of which card is currently revealed.
Behind this tool
Research checked October 8, 2026. These original, shortened explanations draw on the patient resources below. Clinical definitions need context; this is a vocabulary aid, not a diagnostic questionnaire.