Women's health: Publications
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3 Dec 2025
Nurse Specialist in Menopause
Publication Code : 012 312The menopause happens to all women, however the degree of its impact on a woman’s quality of life and the symptoms experienced are very individual. The role of a specialist in menopause was included in the 2024 NICE guidelines on managing menopause, however the detail of how this role might be implemented in practice was less clear and subsequently the British Menopause Society (BMS) produced a guide for all health care professionals. This updated publication builds on the BMS agreed standards, focusing on the options for nurses who may choose a career pathway towards becoming a specialist practitioner in menopause.
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1 Oct 2025
Transition from Fertility to Maternity Care
Publication Code : 012 250Pregnancy following fertility treatment can be an exciting, challenging and anxious time for expectant parents. This updated guidance is primarily to raise awareness of possible pathways of care for women (and their partners/support networks) as they travel through fertility treatment and pregnancy, and how they can best be supported by the health care professionals they encounter along their journey.
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29 Sep 2025
Pregnancy Loss Guidance for Nursing
Publication Code : 012 169Nurses and midwives should be aware and comfortable supporting the potential distress associated with pregnancy loss regardless of gestation. The unexpected loss of a pregnancy at any gestation can be frightening, devastating and traumatic, leading to depression and anxiety. This guidance is intended to provide an overview of the needs of those who have suffered a pregnancy loss, and to support best practice for nurses working in a wide range of settings.
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1 Sep 2025
Menopause: RCN guidance
Publication Code : 012 073Menopause impacts on most peoples’ lives, men and women, and it is important that all nursing teams have a good understanding of how different menopause can be for individuals, and their families. This updated publication aims to support best evidence-based practice for health care professionals to renew and update their understanding of the potential physical and psychological impact on daily living and work/life of the menopause. It includes guidance on advice and care recommended to best support women through the menopause, where required.
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7 Jul 2025
Promoting Menstrual Wellbeing
Publication Code : 012 123Menstruation is both a physiological and psychological milestone in a woman’s life. This updated publication has been developed to help nurses breakdown the stigma that can be associated with what is a completely natural process. It is important to use appropriate and flexible communication methods to ensure information on the menstrual cycle is delivered in an accessible format for women.
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16 Dec 2024
Advanced Level Practice for Fertility Nursing
Publication Code : 011 886This competency document is intended to support best practice across the fertility nursing sector, by articulating key skills required to be an advanced level practitioner. It is intended to support career development in fertility care, both for individual nurses, nurse managers and service providers.
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9 Dec 2024
Cervical Screening for Physically Disabled Women and Autistic Women
Publication Code : 011 821This clinical guidance provides resources for registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates who are responsible for providing cervical screening in any setting. The main intention is to encourage and facilitate the uptake of cervical screening for women and those with a cervix who have a physical disability and/or are autistic.
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5 Dec 2024
Managing the Disposal of Pregnancy Remains
Publication Code : 011 891This updated publication provides clear guidance for all health care professionals, to ensure they have in place robust systems and processes for the safe and appropriate disposal of pregnancy remains, where the pregnancy has ended before the 24th week of gestation. This includes following an ectopic pregnancy, early intrauterine fetal death, miscarriage, or a medically or surgically induced termination of pregnancy.
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17 Oct 2024
Making Sense of Women’s Health
Publication Code : 011 664This updated publication is designed for the non-specialist nurse. It highlights conditions that women can experience, the likely outcomes and how to access appropriate resources or treatment.
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2 Oct 2024
Fertility Preservation
Publication Code : 011 754This publication provides information for nurses who are supporting and caring for those beginning treatment for potentially life-limiting diseases and where the treatment may adversely affect their ability to have children in the future. This updated guidance also encompasses those who may wish, for non-medical reasons, to defer having children until later in life, for example, members of the armed forces, transgender people, or those considering gender reassignment surgery.
