I am a woman suffering with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), struggling with indomitable weight gain, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular problems. PCOS is not just my personal struggle - it affects numerous others, too. There are many like me, including my family members, whose lives have been upended by PCOS, facing similar stumbling blocks towards health and support. 
PCOS causes women to gain weight rapidly and suddenly. The weight gain is not caused by a sedentary lifestyle or excessive calorie consumption but by Insulin resistance. Many PCOS sufferers complain the weight Yo-Yo’s it’s never stable but always increasing.

my personal struggle with PCOS started 3 years ago, I suddenly was gaining weight, having irregular, heavy and painful periods. It was strange to me as I have been training in the gym for 11 years and always kept a healthy weight, lifestyle and diet. I tried to seek help through the NHS. I was told to lose weight or go on the pill. My body didn’t feel like my own anymore. I felt my body was being invaded. Everyday I was exhausted the activities I loved to do, I had to give up due to my excessive tiredness I felt like I was carrying heavy bricks on my back and shoulders.
I was exercising more and controlling my diet, yet my best efforts didn’t make a difference the weight was quadrupling like a landslide. I felt I was on sinking sand. I know so many women share the same struggles. Our bodies have been taken over by an unknown untreatable invader. 

Many women have unfortunately lost their lives due to excessive pain killer intake to manage period cramps. PCOS causes severe period pain, I’m no stranger of having to rely on high strength pain killers to somewhat manage period cramps. Due to this, it has caused me to suffer gastrointestinal problems and ulcers in my stomach.

Despite the serious health implications of rapid, uncontrollable weight gain caused by PCOS, we find ourselves in a situation where weight loss medications such as GLP-1 agonists or weight loss surgery are not readily available to us. We are ensnared in a trapping tier system and restrictive guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that makes access to these vital medications difficult, if not impossible, without resorting to expensive private purchases. This isn't fair. These medications could potentially aid us in managing symptoms like irregular periods, hirutisim, infertility, and acne, which affect our daily quality of life. Addressing PCOS comprehensively is about more than weight - it's about prioritizing women's health.

In the UK, almost one in five women lives with PCOS. The NHS should be serving this significant demographic by making crucial treatments available broadly rather than restrictively. It's high time our voices are heard, our battles acknowledged, and our health given the importance it truly warrants. Please act now and sign this petition to prevent unnecessary suffering and cost for women with PCOS. Together, we can make a change.