Do you have PCOS?

There's been a lot of information (and sometimes misinformation) about hormones and PCOS. Let's delve right in so we can be armed with scientific, fact-based knowledge. We'll be talking more about how it happens and treatment/prevention in further posts.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is the PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's a condition of multiple abnormalities. That's why it's a syndrome, not a disease. The diagnostic criteria for PCOS is therefore, multifactorial, meaning there's lots of ways we can diagnose it. As physicians and medical practitioners, PCOS is diagnosed by your symptoms and supported with labs and imaging. Here are the criteria:

Thanks to UpToDate for the graphic:

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/diagnosis-of-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-in-adults?search=diagnosis%20of%20PCOS&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1

As you can see, the main criteria are irregular periods, evidence of excess testosterone, plus or minus ultrasound or labs.

Dr. Williams explains how PCOS is diagnosed.

Make sure to tune in for our next cycle on PCOS- physiology. How does PCOS happen?