It’s important to educate, understand, and remind women who are battling PCOS that they’re not alone!
South Africa (04 September 2025) – It starts with small things that mount. Eventually, it develops into a full-blown condition that feels almost impossible to deal with.
Periods vanish for months. Hair sprouts in odd new places while falling out in others. Weight won’t budge, no matter how much you move or how little you eat. In fact, you feel like you’re ballooning. Skin doesn’t heal with a solid AM and PM routine. Fatigue sticks like a fog and anxiety builds, even though it’s really hard to explain.
And if you’re one of the 1 in 10 women navigating this, you’ve probably heard the usual chorus: ‘Just lose weight.’ ‘Just take the pill.’ ‘Just try to relax.’
But that’s not how PCOS works. This September, PCOS Awareness Month, we’re taking the time to talk about it.
PCOS is not ‘just bad periods’.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a chronic hormonal condition that affects how the ovaries work. It’s the leading cause of infertility in women, but it goes far beyond reproduction. PCOS can impact your entire body and your mental health, too.
It’s linked to a string of health woes that are far beyond a walk in the park. Insulin resistance, high testosterone levels, weight struggles, mood swings, and a higher risk of things like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, heart disease, and endometrial cancer. And despite how common it is, many women are sadly dismissed for years before getting a proper diagnosis.
That’s why awareness matters, because getting answers shouldn’t take half a lifetime.
What PCOS can look like:
- Irregular, missing, or very heavy periods.
- Hair thinning on the scalp and excess hair elsewhere (face, chest, back)
- Stubborn acne
- Struggles with weight and cravings
- Trouble getting pregnant
- Low mood, anxiety, or depression<
- Feeling like your body is working against you
It’s a long list, and not everyone has the same symptoms. That’s part of what makes PCOS so tricky to spot and so easy to brush off.
If you feel that you might be battling PCOS, you’re not on your own, and there are steps you can start taking now.
Start with a simple cycle diary. Note down your period dates, skin changes, energy, mood, and any hair-related changes. Take that info to a doctor who listens, preferably one who knows how to test for PCOS and understands it.
A well-informed doctor should call for a pelvic exam, blood tests, and an ultrasound.
Diagnosis usually includes a combination of signs: irregular ovulation, high androgen levels (testosterone), and cysts on the ovaries (which may show up on ultrasound). But even if you don’t have cysts, you can still have PCOS.
There’s no direct answer or cure to PCOS. It looks different on different women. There are ways to feel better and support your body long-term. Movement, diet and managing stress levels are three key areas. Beyond that, you’ve got to let self-compassion in. PCOS is not your fault.
You are not lazy. You are not making it up. You are not overreacting. You are navigating a very tricky condition in a world that too often tells you to try harder when what you need is help.
We’re reminding every woman with PCOS that you are not alone.
by 