I’m moody all the time. I don’t like being around people, they make me want to do things no human should be thinking of. No, I’m not ‘PMS-ing’, no, it’s not just a phase and no, I can’t just ‘get over it’. It’s not been an easy battle for me, I don’t expect you to understand. How could you?

Here’s a scenario for every philosophical soul out there. How would you feel if your gynae told you at the age of 23, that your irregular period isn’t just some hormonal imbalance, but the fact that because of it, you’ll have a hard time getting pregnant? That statement alone is enough to shatter a girl’s entire world. For most women, having a baby, creating a human being is the most joyous and precious thing ever!

Every girl dreams of becoming a mama someday, having her own little family and a nice cozy house. These dreams seem pretty attainable at first because almost every woman has them. But for someone like me, it meant loneliness and complete desolation. It meant that I couldn’t have a family of my own because no man would desire a lady who couldn’t give him children. Families are known to be incomplete because of lack of children. All because I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – PCOS.

PCOS awareness is necessary for all women, considering the alarming statistics that one in every seven women will fall victim to PCOS. It’s sad to know that a certain number of women will have to suffer through this tunnel of eternal isolation and pain. What’s even heartbreaking is that it is destined for them to go through this. There isn’t an option to ignore it or choose not to be a victim. There are a few things that need to be said to create consciousness for this.

PCOS is a relatively common disease that targets a woman’s ovaries, primarily. It causes a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. In return, it causes ovarian cysts which affect a woman’s fertility. A major side effect of having PCOS is infertility and difficulty in getting pregnant. There are, of course, a few common symptoms that women experience, they can range from irregular periods to no periods at all, excessive hair growth on unusual places like back or buttocks, but mostly face and chest, sudden weight gain and extreme hair loss combined with oily skin and/or acne are symptoms that can mean PCOS, but should be checked out by a doctor.

More about PCOS, it doesn’t affect a specific age bracket, it can happen to any one at any time, however, an early diagnosis will prevent future harsh implications. There isn’t a solid test for this, but doctors do perform physical and pelvic tests in search for signs, blood is drawn to check up on hormones, mostly sex hormones. Sometimes, an ultra sound is done to take necessary info about your reproductive organ and system.

Presently, there is no cure for PCOS but its symptoms, like abnormal hair growth and infertility issues, can be treated separately. For anyone going through this, please remember that it is not the end of the world and that you are still capable of great things. You’re a warrior for being able to have such willpower! Much love!