Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an increasingly prevalent condition affecting women’s health that can lead to serious, long-lasting symptoms
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex and prevalent condition that affects women of childbearing age (from menarche to menopause, though symptoms may persist beyond menopause in some cases). Although much about the disorder remains unknown, PCOS is commonly responsible for hormonal imbalances and issues with metabolism but can be accompanied by a slew of symptoms ranging from acne to infertility. As its name suggests, women with PCOS typically have multiple cysts on either one or both ovaries—however, Johns Hopkins Medicine clarifies that “some women with this disorder do not have cysts, while some women without the disorder do develop cysts.”
Learn more about the increasingly common condition affecting women’s health around the world.
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1. 1 in 10 women have PCOS
According to the United States Office on Women’s Health, 1 in 10 women of childbearing age is affected by PCOS, though many cases remain undiagnosed as the symptoms are not always evident. Furthermore, researchers have observed an upward trend in the incidents of PCOS over the last decade; one review estimates that it has increased by 4.47 per cent from 2007 to 2017 in women aged 15 to 49.
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