“You want to track at least two or three months’ worth of symptoms and then present what you’ve noticed to your GP rather than handing over the whole diary or app.”

Use the right language

“Why is it that women are really good at consuming healthcare but rubbish at getting the help we need? I think it’s because of the language we use.

“Are you using phrases like ‘My periods are really awful’ or are you saying things like ‘I can’t go to work without the fear of flooding’? Are you telling the GP that you have bad PMS or are you saying things like: ‘My period pain is so bad that I can’t drive my kids to school and have to ask my neighbour to take them.’ What you’re saying there is: ‘Yes, everyone has some kind of period pain or discomfort, but my period pain is impacting on my life.’

“There seems to be a fear of going to the doctor for a period issue and the doctor turning round and going ‘Duh! It’s a period.’ But the likelihood is that you’re going because your pain, flow or symptoms are impacting on your life – so use the language that’s going to help that person to understand what’s going on. It’s not being overly dramatic, it’s just being factual. And once you do that, the clinician in front of you should prick up their ears and go ‘Ah, well – that doesn’t sound right.’ Having to use two forms of sanitary products? That’s not how they’re designed to be used.”

How to get a GP to take your painful periods seriously, according to a former NHS doctor