Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) PCOS is a leading cause of infertility affecting millions of women worldwide, yet many women remain unaware of their condition. If you’ve struggled with symptoms like irregular cycles, acne, or excessive hair growth, PCOS could be the reason. Understanding its prevalence could help you identify PCOS symptoms and seek the right treatment.
What Is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition affecting women of reproductive age, who typically start experiencing symptoms during adolescence. However, symptoms can change and fluctuate in intensity over time. PCOS is the most common cause of irregular ovulation, which can lead to infertility.
How Common Is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is far more common than people realize, with about one in 10 women experiencing PCOS during childbearing age, or 5-10% of women between the ages of 15 and 44. Unfortunately, up to 70% of women with PCOS go undiagnosed.
What Causes PCOS?
There is no known cause of PCOS, and women of all races and ethnicities are at risk. However, women with a family history of type 2 diabetes or PCOS are more likely to experience the condition, along with those who are overweight.
Genetics influences the level of hormones your body produces, including the small amount of male hormones, or androgens, that all women produce. Women who have PCOS produce an increased amount of these hormones that cause many of the symptoms associated with the condition.
Insulin is also a hormone that controls how your body converts food into energy. When your body is insulin resistant, it produces more to compensate, causing excess sugar to remain in your blood. In the long term, this can lead to type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance can happen as a result of being overweight or obese, eating an unhealthy diet, or lack of physical exercise.
What are PCOS Symptoms?
PCOS symptoms can vary significantly among women, and also change over time without a clear reason. One of the most common symptoms is irregular, skipped, heavy, or extra longer periods leading to fertility struggles. Women with PCOS may also experience acne, overly oily skin, baldness, abdominal weight gain, and excessive body hair on the face, chin, chest, back, and abdomen. Many of these symptoms are the result of an excess of male hormones.
Many women with PCOS also experience dark skin patches in their groin, neck crease, armpits, and underneath their breasts, a direct symptom of insulin resistance.
Why Is PCOS Often Underdiagnosed?
Because there are so many inconsistent symptoms that can point to a PCOS diagnosis, it makes it challenging for doctors to identify the condition. Many symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, which can lead doctors to either misdiagnose or under-diagnose PCOS. There are also a lot of myths and misinformation spread about PCOS, making it difficult for women to know whether they have an issue. As a result, many women receive a diagnosis of PCOS in their 20s or 30s when they’re typically struggling with infertility.
There is no single test that can definitively determine if someone has PCOSt. Generally, you’ll need to speak with your doctor who will discuss your symptoms, review your medical history, and perform a physical exam. This information will rule out other possible medical conditions and causes for the symptoms. Because there’s so much room for interpretation and error, it can be a challenging and lengthy process to receive a PCOS diagnosis.
Once all other causes have been ruled out, a PCOS diagnosis can be made if the woman meets at least two of three criteria.
- Irregular periods or infrequent periods
- Blood tests show you have high levels of male hormones
- Scans show polycystic ovaries.
PCOS and Fertility: The Connection
Because PCOS is a hormonal condition, it has a significant and direct impact on a woman’s reproductive system. This results in irregular and skipped ovulation, and without an egg consistently being released, conceiving becomes challenging. Many women with higher than normal male hormones and cysts on their ovaries also have difficulty getting pregnant.
When to Seek Help
While there is no cure for PCOS, there are many treatment options that can alleviate the symptoms. With the guidance of your doctor, you can make lifestyle changes–including diet and exercise–to address excess weight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some birth control medications can help regulate periods, reduce heavy periods, and alleviate other reproductive system-related symptoms. Other medications can help with acne or unwanted hair growth. If you’re struggling with infertility, working with a fertility clinic can help explore treatments.
Discuss Your PCOS Symptoms With a Doctor
Living with PCOS can be challenging, especially when it goes undiagnosed or untreated. By recognizing the symptoms early, you can take control of your fertility and overall well-being. Rise Fertility is dedicated to helping women with PCOS achieve their fertility goals through compassionate, expert care.
Ready to take control of your reproductive health? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Sanaz Ghazal at RISE Fertility in Newport Beach, CA and explore your options.

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