When talking with young women about PCOS, I often get asked the question, “Is PCOS rare?” or “How many women actually get PCOS?” PCOS is a lot more common than what you might think. According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 women of childbearing age has PCOS and as many as 5 million women in the United States may be affected.” Most of the time symptoms appear during the teen years, but PCOS can occur during adulthood and also in pre-teen girls. The cause is less straight forward.

If you google the “cause of PCOS”, you’ll find that the answer remains “unknown.” It is at least satisfying to know that medical researchers and scientists are getting closer though. Most experts will agree that there are likely many factors including: the tendency of PCOS to run in families (sisters, mothers, aunts), and the role of hormones, androgen and insulin.

If you have symptoms such as: irregular periods, acne, excessive or unwanted hair, weight gain, and/or problems with ovulation, and have a family member that has been diagnosed with PCOS, you should make an appointment with your health care provider and discuss your concerns.

-Nurse Phaedra