Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness – what do you need to know?

Many women take their reproductive health for granted but it can prove vital to understand your own body and identify what normal is for you. So, join us as we discuss all things related to PCOS and tackle the truth behind the taboo, with help from some genuine PCOS experiences.

With September marking Polycystic Ovary Syndrome awareness month, we believe that it is time to put a spotlight on the condition. According to NHS England, PCOS affects 1 in 5 women here in the UK but do we know enough about it?

What affect does PCOS have on women?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition which affects a woman’s hormone levels, specifically involving the production of androgen — male hormones. This imbalance can lead to irregular periods, which means that your ovaries do not release eggs regularly.

One common misconception is that having polycystic ovaries means that you have cysts — this isn’t the case. They are not true cysts in the sense that they aren’t filled with liquid and they don’t grow large and burst. In actuality they are follicles that contain immature eggs and because they have not matured enough, they don’t trigger ovulation.

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

The signs of PCOS will usually become apparent during a woman’s late teens or early 20’s — but it can affect women of all ages. The severity and range of symptoms experienced is likely to differ between people but some of the possible signs to look out for include:

Irregular periods, or a lack of any periods
Difficulty falling pregnant — in PCOS, you may not be ovulating or are ovulating irregularly
Hair growth (which can be excessive) on the chest, face, buttocks or back
Weight gain
Hair loss or thinning hair
Acne or noticeably oily skin

Your GP should be your first port of call if you are worried about experiencing any of the above. The problem that many women face with PCOS is that it is often misdiagnosed with a whole array or other conditions that can mimic the symptoms. This can make the diagnosis a long, difficult process.

Niamh, 22, describes that she had ‘’experienced severe cramps that were getting in the way of my normal routines, as well as period irregularities, so I was really concerned at the time. Before the PCOS diagnosis my doctor suggested trying over the counter painkillers but after few trips back to the surgery I was finally told that I had the condition’’.

Get familiar with what is normal for you and your body and if you are concerned about anything then be sure to make an appointment with your GP. Irregular or heavier periods are some of the most common symptoms of PCOS and managing them from month to month can be difficult. Your period shouldn’t get in the way of your normal routine, so make sure you look for the right product for you, with the correct absorbency for your flow. You could try using tampons for heavy periods, as they are available in the widest range of absorbencies. By finding the absorbency that suits your individual flow, you won’t have to worry about leaks.

Can PCOS be treated?

Whilst there is no cure for PCOS, after a woman is diagnosed with the condition the symptoms can be managed and relieved through multiple approaches. Various medications might be prescribed by a doctor following diagnosis: Clomifene is usually the first option prescribed to help ovulation resume, or Metformin (used commonly to treat type 2 diabetes) can be given to women — although for PCOS it is used ‘off-label’ as it isn’t actually licensed for treating the condition in the UK. There’s also medication options for targeting other PCOS symptoms such as acne and unwanted hair loss/ growth.

Becca, 24, spoke about the treatment options following her PCOS diagnosis, saying that ‘’People are very unaware of how different the symptoms can be, and treatment needs to be quite personalised’’. As well as the options we’ve discussed, there are treatments based on naturopathy that women could opt for. For PCOS it is important that as women, we deconstruct the ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing the symptoms, both visible and not. Becca added that ‘’it is possible for treatments to mask your symptoms rather than alleviate the root of the problem — and some women don’t even get a PCOS diagnosis before they’re offered medication for the signs’’.

Does impact does PCOS have on fertility?

For many women, fertility after a PCOS diagnosis is a big concern but the outcome isn’t always negative. With treatment in place, getting pregnant naturally is possible and there are multiple medications that are commonly prescribed to treat symptoms and stimulate fertility.

A fertility specialist will be able to provide more guidance for women who have PCOS and struggle to conceive naturally. However, you can take positive steps to manage symptoms and boost fertility, including modifying your diet and lifestyle. Unfortunately, some women do require further help to get pregnant in PCOS cases and in vitro fertilization might be recommended.

However, it’s important to remember that PCOS doesn’t affect fertility in the same way for all women with the condition and natural pregnancies are possible!

Taking the taboo out of PCOS

September is PCOS Awareness Month, but do we know enough about how it affects our bodies and do we feel that it is approached in the right way? Jade, 23, described her frustration during her PCOS diagnosis, saying ‘’From my experience, PCOS isn’t treated with enough sensitivity and as few of the symptoms are visible, people can often pass it off as period pain which makes you feel invalid’’. She adds that she ‘’went through so many tests, from bloods to thyroid examinations, with no clear diagnosis, it felt like I was just being passed back and forth between doctors’’.

As the signs of PCOS affect everyone differently, there is a vast spectrum for experiencing the condition and you might only notice one or two mild symptoms. All of the women that we spoke to expressed an unawareness of the condition prior to their diagnosis and this poses the issue of education — should schools be sharing more with their female students on this, in order to develop better understandings of our intimate health? Tackling a taboo of this nature is essential in helping women normalise their experiences and seek the right guidance and healthcare.

So, let’s all become more PCOS aware this September and as always — know what is normal for your body and don’t be afraid to voice any concerns!