September is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month! PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that can cause irregular periods, depression and unwanted hair growth, and affects 1 in 10 womxn around the world. However, less than 25% of womxn still live with PCOS undiagnosed and are unaware of their condition. For Black womxn, this number is almost double due to gender and racial biases in healthcare according to this 2018 BBC report.
For Tola*, 27, it took 4 hospital visits for her symptoms to be taken seriously enough and for appropriate tests to be carried out. “Every time I went to the hospital to complain about yet another symptom, I’d be given some painkiller and a doctor’s order to go on a diet and lose weight.” After a series of tests, Tola* was eventually diagnosed with PCOS. The repeated dismissal of womxn’s pain and concerns, particularly in healthcare, is intrinsically linked to the misogynistic idea that female pain is exaggerated and ‘not that bad’. The incessant need to debunk and refute the level of pain womxn feel shows up in societal views about childbirth, menstrual cramps and everything in between. This sets a dangerous precedent that leaves womxn vulnerable in the hands of a system that fails to prioritize our health and needs. Most of the research and data available about pain in healthcare are skewed in favour of men. For example, research about erectile dysfunction is more likely to be funded, giving way to more data, than about menstrual cramps.
Which is why we must listen when womxn speak up about their health concerns. PCOS awareness month is here to do just that: spotlight a health issue that is still underresearched and underfunded. When it comes to diagnosing PCOS, doctors still find it tricky, as symptoms can manifest differently in each person. One common symptom is irregular menstrual cycles. Bemi, a mother of one living with PCOS, says it wasn’t until she had her period for a full month before she went to the hospital. “I’ve had my period for 10 days before,” Bemi tells FEMME MAG, “I just never took it seriously. I’ve also had months where I didn’t have any periods. But after I bled nonstop for an entire month, I decided to go to the hospital.”
In addition to menstrual irregularities, there are two other ways doctors can determine if a womxn has PCOS: high levels of androgens in our blood and follicles in ovaries. Every womxn typically produces small levels of androgen – a male hormone – but womxn with PCOS produce higher than normal amounts of androgens. This can cause male hair growth patterns in womxn like thinning of hair on the scalp and an increase in facial and body hair growth. Follicles in the ovaries can be detected through transvaginal ultrasounds. These follicles surround the eggs, making it difficult for them to develop, making ovulation practically impossible.
Unfortunately, these symptoms may also be a result of a number of other illnesses and doctors usually have to go through a painstakingly long process of elimination to narrow in on PCOS. For some womxn, they don’t experience any of these symptoms and only find out when experiencing difficulty trying to conceive. And while PCOS can have an adverse effect on fertility, it doesn’t make having a baby impossible. Womxn with PCOS who try to conceive can get pregnant and give birth without any fertility issues at least once in their life under proper healthcare conditions.
“I specifically remember the doctor telling me I may not be able to have kids and that PCOS can cause infertility,” says Bemi. “I kept replaying that moment in my head because I didn’t think I’d struggle to have kids. After my first miscarriage, I got pregnant again and it was thankfully a breeze. Very rare, but it was.” Currently, there’s no cure for PCOS, but under the proper care of a doctor and some medication, it can be managed. Doctors also advise womxn with PCOS to improve their diet and make lifestyle changes to include exercise.
PCOS awareness month is important, not because our health concerns and needs should only be relegated to one month, but because it sheds light on the efforts that various organizations are taking to ensure that more research and more funding goes towards making sure that we have a healthcare system that understands makes diagnosing PCOS easier and how it can be treated better.
*Name has been changed to protect her identity.
