PCOS Awareness Month: Meaning And Its Necessity To Break The Taboo About PCOS

Does the word PCOS seems unfamiliar to you? Have you ever heard someone openly talking about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome(PCOS) ? If not, then in this article, we will shed some light on this less known topic and  PCOS Awareness Month. 


PCOS: What is it actually?

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS is a less talked health issue, that teenage girls and women in their younger age can suffer from. It leads to menstrual related problems in the sufferer’s body. A few of the issues that a person suffering from PCOS can encounter are

  • Irregularity in period cycles
  • Pause in having periods for months
  • Problem in conceiving 
  • Growth of excessive hair around sides of face
  • Acne issues 
  • Excessive flow of blood during periods

How Is PCOS Caused?

Since there is an underlying scientific and biological cause of any health issue. PCOS is also caused by a biological issue. A teenage girl or young women have periods due to changes in their hormones regularly. When the lining of the uterus builds up in a female body, then it gets released in the form of blood flow or periods.

Sometimes periods get delayed due to stress or other mental health issues. If this condition becomes prominent, then you need to get yourself checked by a doctor. 

A few of the causes of PCOS are

  • One of the causes of getting PCOS is, if male hormone called androgen is produced in excess amount in females. Androgens is produced on the top of kidneys by adrenal glands. 
  • Androgens plays its role in balancing menstrual cycles. Still, the excess of androgens production in females can lead to PCOS. 
  • The excess production of insulin in a female’s body can be a precursor to PCOS. If your body is not able to produce enough glucose to keep it charged up, then excess insulin is produced. This helps in keeping glucose levels in check, yet can shut down your ovaries. 
  • If anyone in your family, has also had issues of PCOS in the past, then it can be passed on genetically as well.  

PCOS Awareness Month: What Is It?

To raise voice related to PCOS, September is celebrated worldwide as PCOS Awareness month. The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association started commemorating the World PCOS day of Unity in the month of September in 2018. Since then, 1st September is celebrated as World PCOS Day. 


PCOS when untreated poses a threat to Type 2 diabetes. Thus, proper awareness and treatment related to this medical issue is needed. Around half of the female population that suffer from Polycyctic Ovarian Sydrome remain undiagnosed.

This raises a real challenge to give support to those suffering from PCOS by helping them about ways to overcome PCOS. PCOS Awareness Month thus helps in breaking humans-induced taboos related to talking freely about PCOS.

There are some myths that surround Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. A few of the myths are

  • Only overweight women have higher chances of suffering from PCOS. Though it has been scientifically proved, that obesity deteriotes the PCOS, still any female can have PCOS irrespective of her body weight.
  • One of the symptoms of PCOS is getting facial hair. Nevertheless, the symptom can differ from one person to another.
  • The women suffering from PCOS can never conceive. There is a difficulty in conceiving if you had a history of PCOS. With the use of ayurveda medicines and other treatments, a woman can become free from PCOS.
  • PCOS is not the only cause for having irregular periods.Females can have irregular periods due to climate change, dietary changes, improper lifestyle, over workouts, etc.
  • Only losing weight can’t cure PCOS. Around 10 percent of the issue can be solved by weight loss. Besides that you need to take proper medication and exercises suggested by a health professional.
  • Only through a blood test can PCOS be diagnosed. There is not a single way out to find whether a female has PCOS. A few of the factors that contribute to PCOS can be
  1. Pelvic exam- To find whether a female’s ovaries are swollen or enlarged.
  2. Physical exam- To check for different signs of hormonal imbalance like hair loss.
  3. Pelvic ultrasound test- To see any alterations in your lining of uterus or development of cysts in the ovaries.
  • You are guilty for having PCOS. There is not an exact reason to have PCOS. Thus, if you feel that consuming birth control pills or stopping it in between has caused it, then you are wrong. PCOS can occur due to genetic reason or some other causes.
  • Every female with PCOS suffers from ovarian cysts. Due to its name being Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, there can be a myth that it leads to cysts in females. For checking whether a female has PCOS, either of the following two symptoms need to be revealed after diagnosis
  1. High level of androgens
  2. Irregularity of menstrual cycles
  3. Development of small cysts on the ovaries

Cure For PCOS

You can order Namhya’s Women Health Tea for PCOS to get a fast relief from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a concoction of Ashwagandha, Ashoka, Lodhra, Shatavari,Saffron and various other ayurvedic ingredients.

This herbal tea will aid in proper functioning of your hormones and boosting immunity. Ashwagandha aids in enhacing body’s immunity. Ashoka is an ayurvedic herb, that helps in proper period cycles.

Shatavari will contribute in regulation of estrogen. For a proper balance of hormones, Lodhra helps. Saffron helps in reducing period cramps during your period cycle.

Conclusion

PCOS though a less talked issue, is being brought into limelight with the help of PCOS Awareness Month. There are many resources related to the same on a designated website of the organization that started it.

You can register for different virtual events related to PCOS on pcosawarenessmonth.org. These events will be conducted by medical health experts during the upcoming month of September.

Further, you can sign up on their website to volunteer for PCOS challenge, like marathon,etc., media interview coverage, media pass request, PCOS support programs, etc. These prgrams are held in different countries world wide.

You can be one of the torchbearers for knowledge awareness related to PCOS, for registering and volunteering in any of their programs. The knowledge shared with multiple people will eradicate PCOS globally.

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Author

Ridhima Arora

Ridhima Arora is an Indian entrepreneur, author, trained yoga instructor, and practicing nutritionist. She is the founder of Namhya Foods.Besides being the founder of Namhya foods, Ridhima also gives nutrition coaching in seminars to kids, NGOs, and corporates. She also works as a freelancer at Global Changemakers.