Polycystic ovarian disorder (PCOS) affects one in ten women, and yet it remains one of the most misunderstood chronic illnesses.

I was barely twelve years old when I got my first period. For the following year, I complained of increasingly painful cramps and inexplicably sporadic periods, and I was waved off, told such symptoms were normal for someone just starting puberty. It wasn’t until closer to my fourteenth birthday when I additionally added excessive facial hair to my list of complaints that I was finally diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disorder — better known as PCOS.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is a chronic, hormonal disorder that affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. The most common symptoms are irregular periods, excess facial and body hair, severe acne, thinning hair, insulin resistance, weight gain, oily skin and infertility. PCOS poses additional long-term health risks, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and endometrial cancer. While PCOS can be treated through medication and lifestyle changes, there is no cure.

In the Medical Field

According to University of Miami Nurse Practitioner Lawren Mundy, PCOS is most commonly diagnosed through the Rotterdam criteria, which requires the presence of at least two of three main features: irregular periods, androgen symptoms (such as hair growth on the chin, chest or nipples) and 12 or more follicles in at least one ovary.

Up to 70% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed because, according to Mundy, “Providers or even patients…don’t really take the time to listen to what’s going on.”

Genetics play a major role in the development of PCOS. Oftentimes, the mother or grandmother will have experienced PCOS but will have neglected to investigate the symptoms. When the prospective patient comes to her mother explaining she has especially painful periods or excessive facial hair, the symptoms might be waved off as “running in the same family.”

But, as Munday explained, “It’s not normal to miss two months of a period.”

Lived Experience

Past physical symptoms, more than half of total PCOS patients experience mental illnesses or eating disorders.

Mood swings are another common yet often overlooked symptom of PCOS. Underlying hormonal balances in conjunction with insulin resistance tend to inspire irritability, anxiety, depression and fatigue.

“I see [mental illness] a lot, especially with my adolescent [PCOS patients], because developmentally sometimes they’re at the stage when they’re really influenced by their peers,” said Dr. Catherine Silva, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Miami Health System. “So physical appearance is a big concern for them, and there’s a lot of anxiety and depression that comes with it, because they’re not happy with how they physically look or how often they feel.”

UM freshman Mia Vargas first noticed something was off when she compared herself to other women in her family and realized she was the only one experiencing what she’d first assumed to be extreme pubescent changes.

“Before starting treatment, it was especially hard,” said Vargas. “My mom didn’t fully understand at first since she never experienced acne or excess body hair, so I often hid what I was going through, like shaving at a young age or dealing with [acne] breakouts in secret.”

Vargas admitted to struggling with body image before beginning treatment. PCOS has consistently been linked to instances of body dysmorphia, defined as a mental health condition that leads to an incessant obsession over perceived physical flaws.

Body dysmorphia aside, the stigmatization surrounding PCOS alone is enough of a trigger. While obesity can be a contributing factor in exacerbating systems, it does not directly cause the disease. This is a common misconception in the field, and something that finds many patients on the receiving side of unhelpful advice: i.e.“Just lose some weight!”

Then there’s the everlasting fear of infertility, a deeply sensitive subject for any young woman who spent her childhood dreaming of one day becoming a mother. The aforementioned high androgen levels present in women with PCOS often prevents eggs from properly developing or releasing.

Managing PCOS

PCOS may be without a cure, but it can be managed with treatment. Kailey Lewis (@yourpcosnutritionist) and Tallene Hacatoryan (@pcos.weightloss) are registered dietitians that have amassed large Instagram followings consisting mainly of women with PCOS hoping to take control of their lives back.

“One piece of advice I wish I heard early on was that PCOS was not my fault, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Lewis, creator of EmpoweHER Nutrition and Wellness and the PCOS Power Plan. “I hope my platform informs women that they do not have to be controlled by their condition and they can find food freedom and enjoy life again without worrying about their PCOS.”

Lewis believes successful PCOS management requires building routines and habits that fit your lifestyle without adding the burden of stress. Opinions on dietary restrictions differ, but developing nutritional habits structured to balance blood sugar, counter inflammation and support gut health is a great place to start.

Including nutrition habits to support balanced blood sugar, gut health, and inflammation is important to consider when developing nutrition plans.

Hacatoryan suggests prioritizing consistent strength training over excessive cardio.

“I always emphasize that the goal isn’t a number on the scale — it’s feeling better, improving symptoms and supporting your health,” said Hacatoryan. “Weight loss is often a result of that, but I’m very mindful to promote balance, not restriction or unrealistic expectations.”

Lifestyle changes are the first-line solution for reversing PCOS symptoms, though birth control can, in conjunction, serve to regulate the menstrual cycle. Nearly all PCOS symptoms can be adequately managed through treatment — including infertility.

“Sometimes when I disclose the diagnosis, sometimes patients will be like, ‘oh, my gosh, I’m not gonna be able to have kids,’ which is not true, 100%,” said Silva. “Fertility may be a little bit challenging, but it’s not completely impossible. Not if you start your treatments early on and you’re connected with a reproductive endocrinologist. We’ve made a lot of progress in fertility as far as that goes.”

Conclusively

It’s been half a decade since I was diagnosed with PCOS. Throughout high school, I consistently gained several pounds each year, relied thoroughly on birth control and antidepressants while remaining unable to keep up with my peers in gym class. PCOS has unquestionably made my life harder — it’s made my body feel like it’s actively working against me.

I had to make the decision for myself that my body is my own, and it can only be controlled by an outside force if I let it be. I had to make the decision to begin weaning off medications and trusting myself to overcome physical hardship. I had to make the decision to show up for myself by going to the gym even when I didn’t want to, by prioritizing protein even when I wanted to resort to comfort food.

PCOS makes mine and so many other women’s lives harder — but it doesn’t make our lives impossible, unless we let it. A PCOS diagnosis doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Rather, it can be the catalyst for taking back control of your life.

words,photo&design_ariana glaser.

This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2026 print issue.

Support Distraction

Follow our Social Media:

Instagram  Tik Tok   Facebook    LinkedIn