On February 2nd, 2010, I walked into my first day of my internship at the Center for Young Women’s Health (CYWH), having little knowledge of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. I was shocked when I found out that PCOS affects 1 in 10 women, and I was eager to learn more. The CYWH’s book “PCOS Resources For a Healthier You” gave me a great introduction about the syndrome and a better understanding of how emotional it can be to have it. It was so interesting to me that many of the physical symptoms of PCOS can be managed by diet and exercise. After learning more about PCOS, I realized how important it is to build awareness and to provide resources to help women manage their PCOS.

During my internship, I’ve been helping out with a new video project at the CYWH. We’re creating two videos about PCOS. The first video is about managing PCOS through your diet, and will include some suggestions about what types of food can be included in a PCOS-friendly eating plan. The second video is about managing PCOS with exercise, and will include tips on getting motivated and how to make it easier to fit exercise into your daily routine. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS, or are just interested in learning more about it, I know these videos will be very helpful.

I think it’s great that the CYWH is working hard to both maintain and create new educational tools such as health guides, videos, books, and online chats in order to empower young women and build general awareness about PCOS.

-Kelly, CYWH Nutrition Intern, Spring 2010