It’s more common than you think

PCOS is the most common hormonal or endocrine disorder in women, with reproductive, metabolic and psychological consequences. It’s a complex condition with many potential symptoms, meaning up to three in four (75%) of those with PCOS remain undiagnosed.

You need to have two out of three symptoms to be diagnosed

To diagnose PCOS in adults, any two out of three of the criteria below have to be met (which is also known as the ‘Rotterdam criteria’):

Ovulatory dysfunction (not producing eggs on a regular basis, which results in missed or irregular periods)
Clinical or biochemical (lab) evidence of hyperandrogenism (think: acne or darker, thicker body hair)
Evidence of cysts on one or both ovaries, as shown during a pelvic ultrasound scan

It (largely) comes down to insulin

The main driver of PCOS in the majority of people is insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that works to control blood sugar levels. If you become resistant to insulin, the body has to create more to compensate. That increase then causes the ovaries to produce too much testosterone in women with PCOS, which affects ovulation.

So, if your PCOS is caused by insulin, the key is to work out how to make your body more sensitive to the hormone – and that’s best done via diet and lifestyle (particularly stress relief).

Missing periods are the most common symptom

Infrequent or missed periods are the most common sign of PCOS (also known as oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea respectively). That’s caused by anovulation – not producing or releasing that monthly egg. Then you’ve got excess facial/body hair (hirsutism), acne (often adult and/or cystic) and scalp hair loss (alopecia), which are all common signs of excess androgens like testosterone.

From fertility to stress, experts share 9 PCOS-friendly tips for moving and eating with the condition