PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and PCOS Challenge is an association that supports and advocates for females with this condition. Statistically, PCOS is found in 15% of American women but many remain undiagnosed due to lack of awareness and education. There is also insufficient funding for research and development in this field.
PCOS Challenge was founded in 2009 by a PCOS-diagnosed Sasha Ottey who failed to find adequate information or support regarding her condition or treatment options.
“After doing research, I found out that I had been experiencing PCOS symptoms such as hair loss and weight gain since adolescence. Looking back at my history, I found that there were many missed opportunities for an earlier diagnosis, but due to my own lack of awareness about PCOS, and various specialists not asking the right questions, I was diagnosed almost two decades after the onset of symptoms.”
Today PCOS Challenge has over 52,000 members and the community features unique ways to communicate with its audience. The organization has launched a series of TV-Shows telling the stories of ten different women with PCOS. A radio show, bearing the same name, invites PCOS experts to present comprehensive overviews of the condition. In addition to their online presence, PCOS Challenge regularly organizes seminars, educational programs, and community gatherings.
PCOS is a complex metabolic, hormone, and reproductive disorder affecting many aspects of women’s lives and is considered a primary reason for infertility in women. Symptoms include irregular menstruation, anxiety, excessive body hair, pre-diabetes, and others. The blood work of a patient with PCOS often shows a high level of androgens.
“Most PCOS patients start experiencing symptoms around the onset of puberty, but many are not diagnosed until they have difficulty getting pregnant or worse, until after they have developed other metabolic complications from having PCOS. These glaring gaps in care for millions of people who are impacted by PCOS is the reason that we can no longer stay silent.”
When fighting infertility in women, it is important to consider all possible causes including uterine fibroids. Similar to PCOS, fibroids remain misdiagnosed and under-researched while affecting 70% to 80% of women of reproductive age.
At Atlanta Fibroid Center we provide women suffering from uterine fibroids with a comprehensive overview of available treatment options to improve fertility. Contact us by calling at (770) 953-2600 or book a free teleconsultation with a leading fibroid expert, Dr. John C. Lipman.
