Often unrecognized PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) can cause many physical and emotional symptoms and for the up to 21% or 1 in 5 of women and girls with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Worldwide, it is estimated less than half know what it is or that they have it.

Many women with PCOS, have gone years without the proper diagnosis and have silently suffered not knowing what was truly wrong. Even in today’s medically advanced era, women from around the country are experiencing the same lack of response from a medical community with little understanding of PCOS, except in cases when the infertility aspect are addressed. As a result, single women, adolescents, LGBT, older women and those not trying to get pregnant have little chance of being diagnosed!!!

PCOS can be a precursor to many life threatening conditions including type II diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney problems if left undiagnosed or untreated. This means PCOS contributes to some of the leading causes of death and disability in women today.

So why does all of this this matter?

PCOS is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility 

PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women

Over 50% of PCOS patients are obese

50% of PCOS patients have diabetes by age 40

Approximately 34% of women with #PCOS have #depression and 45% have anxiety.

PCOS patients are at higher risk to develop high blood pressure, lipid disorders and coronary artery disease

As many as 40% of PCOS patients as young as age 30-45 may have coronary calcification (a warning of heart attack risk)

Therefore, PCOS leaders, government officials, organizaions and advocates are charged with identifying strategies for achieving substantial improvement in the quality of health care and education for all patients living with the syndrome.  PCOS patients can not and should not simply be dismissed as a gynecological or infertility problem!

With more than half of the women with PCOS predestined to have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes before the age of 40,  and increased risks for heart disease, stroke and endometrial cancer, finding ways to diagnose, screen and educate on the connection between thesee diseases to PCOS is imperative!

Without the proper education and awareness of these connected disorders and the seriousness of PCOS as a metabolic endocrine disorder, these epidemics will continue to rise.

The NIH needs to allocate more than 0.1% of funding for millions affected in The United States and needs to engage and direct federal agencies like NICHD, NIDDK and NHLBI to support more research, better physician education and better tools and resources for women and girls with the syndrome to live healthier lives with healthier outcomes!