What Is It?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be.
PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods. Irregular periods can lead to:
Infertility (inability to get pregnant). In fact, PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility in women.
Development of cysts (small fluid-filled sacs) in the ovaries
Who gets PCOS?
Between 5% and 10% of women between 15 and 44, or during the years you can have children, have PCOS. Most women find out they have PCOS in their 20s and 30s, when they have problems getting pregnant and see their doctor. But PCOS can happen at any age after puberty.
Women of all races and ethnicities are at risk of PCOS. Your risk of PCOS may be higher if you have obesity or if you have a mother, sister, or aunt with PCOS.
What are the symptoms of PCOS?
Irregular menstrual cycle. Women with PCOS may miss periods or have fewer periods (fewer than eight in a year). Or, their periods may come every 21 days or more often. Some women with PCOS stop having menstrual periods.
Too much hair on the face, chin, or parts of the body where men usually have hair. This is called "hirsutism." Hirsutism affects up to 70% of women with PCOS.3
Acne on the face, chest, and upper back
Thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp; male-pattern baldness
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Darkening of skin, particularly along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts
Skin tags, which are small excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
What causes PCOS
The exact cause of PCOS is not known. Most experts think that several factors, including genetics, play a role:
High levels of androgens. Androgens are sometimes called "male hormones," although all women make small amounts of androgens. Androgens control the development of male traits, such as male-pattern baldness. Women with PCOS have more androgens than normal. Higher than normal androgen levels in women can prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation) during each menstrual cycle, and can cause extra hair growth and acne, two signs of PCOS.
High levels of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls how the food you eat is changed into energy. Insulin resistance is when the body's cells do not respond normally to insulin. As a result, your insulin blood levels become higher than normal. Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance, especially those who have overweight or obesity, have unhealthy eating habits, do not get enough physical activity, and have a family history of diabetes (usually type 2 diabetes). Over time, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Can i still get pregnant if i have PCOS
Yes. Having PCOS does not mean you can't get pregnant. PCOS is one of the most common, but treatable, causes of infertility in women. In women with PCOS, the hormonal imbalance interferes with the growth and release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation). If you don't ovulate, you can't get pregnant.
Your doctor can talk with you about ways to help you ovulate and to raise your chance of getting pregnant. You can also use Ovulation Calculator to see which days in your menstrual cycle you are most likely to be fertile.
Mental Health And PCOS
Finding out that you are having fertility issues can be a real shock, and feelings of guilt and failure are not uncommon. However, if you can, think of it as a medical problem that is treatable alongside most other conditions, and not a reflection on you as a woman. Many, many couples use fertility treatment to conceive and the inconvenient start is long forgotten in later years.
For some couples, working through different treatments works is a long, complicated and anxious process, especially if it is combined with having to take time off from an unsympathetic workplace. Try to support each other as much as you can through the consultations, treatments and appointments.
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