PCOS is the most common hormonal disorder, but a lack of awareness has meant women have had to spend hours searching for accurate information to answer their questions.
Of the many health concerns women face, one issue seems to be given less attention in terms of available knowledge about management options, writes Samantha Crawford in the March issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine.
For women who have been diagnosed with PCOS, finding the right people to manage their symptoms, and the sources that provide appropriate guidance is complex.
Encouraging community awareness that is evidence-based and accurate has a crucial role in enabling women to advocate for their own better health outcomes.
Seeking diagnosis
For women to be diagnosed with PCOS, two of three symptoms need to be present:
- Irregular periods or no period.
- High levels of male hormones (androgens).
- The appearance of partly developed eggs in the ovary through an ultrasound. However, this ultrasound is not recommended for younger women.
The founder and Executive Director of the PCOS Awareness Association, Megan M Stewart, shares own her journey to receiving a diagnosis.
“Early diagnosis is important to me personally because when I was formally diagnosed at age 16,” she said.
“I also received a diagnosis of cervical cancer. Before 16, I’d seen numerous specialists and medical professionals who passed off my various symptoms as puberty, needing to lose weight, and even being all in my head.
“If it hadn’t had been for my persistent mother finding a knowledgeable OBGYN [obstetrician/gynaecologist] willing to listen and act, I strongly believe the cancer would have spread, and I may not be here today.”
Living with PCOS
For people living with PCOS, managing symptoms and maintaining good mental health can be difficult. They are susceptible to developing long-term conditions such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as anxiety or depression.
Lifestyle management
Experts recommend that implementing healthy lifestyle behaviour, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, can be an effective tool in dealing with PCOS symptoms.
Ms Stewart says awareness helps the public understand that symptoms such as irregular periods and pelvic pain are not to be ignored – “and that getting them checked is necessary”.
“While there’s no cure for PCOS, there are treatments that can help ease the stress and complications of specific symptoms,” she said.
“PCOS Awareness Association recognises that everyone is different, and we try to provide resources for all the options available. We’re a hub for gathering information, connecting to others going through similar things, and finding various resources.”
Creating awareness
Ms Stewart says the PCOS Awareness Association is working to rectify the lack of information given to women on diagnosis, which she hopes will become more accessible.
“When I was sixteen, 20-plus years ago, I was told PCOS would affect my ability to have children, and to come back to the doctor when I was ready to try to conceive,” she said. “I hear from the PCOS community that not much has changed.”
She is calling for more PCOS-related research and care.
“There needs to be more research, answers and care [when it comes to] the associated health risks of PCOS,” Ms Stewart said, “and the medical industry needs to listen to patients and be willing to think outside the box.”
Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI) has heard the calls for more awareness and information sharing. It has developed an app, “with women and for women with polycystic ovary syndrome”.
The AskPCOS app is designed to inform and educate women with PCOS, providing question sheets that women can take to their doctor if they have specific concerns.
Pharmacy assistants engaging with customers experiencing symptoms or living with PCOS can direct them to the AskPCOS app.
This feature was originally published in the March issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine. To read it in full, visit: rpassistants.com.au/retail-pharmacy-assistants-march-2022
