Many women don’t become aware they havepolycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) until they are trying to get pregnant in their 20s or 30s. As a result, the diagnosis may come as a surprise, and many women wonder why it wasn’t discovered earlier in life. Unfortunately, symptoms of PCOS are often ignored as something else or go undetected entirely, making diagnosis challenging.This article discusses the factors that prevent early detection of PCOS.Frederic Cirou / PhotoAlto / Getty ImagesSigns Often Go UndetectedThe most common symptoms of PCOS includeirregular or absent periods, acne, weight gain, and irregular hair growth on the face, chest, or body. In addition, many women with PCOS have many small cysts on their ovaries, causing a characteristic polycystic appearance on an ultrasound. This can look like a string of pearls surrounding the ovaries.Diagnosing PCOScan be difficult since there isn’t a specific test that can be performed. Each woman’s experience of PCOS is unique because no two women have the exact same symptoms.Some women have physical signs of PCOS like hair growth, acne, and obesity, but they get regular periods.Other women are extremely lean but have irregular periods and ovaries that appear polycystic on an ultrasound.Symptoms Mimic Those Experienced During AdolescenceThe symptoms that are associated with PCOS are often mistaken for those that are experiencedduring adolescence. Most physicians would consider irregular periods, acne, and weight gain to be normal signs of adolescence and wouldn’t diagnose PCOS until later in life.Most women, in fact, wouldn’t think that anything was abnormal if they were having problems with acne or irregular periods late into their teens because a majority of teens have experienced these issues at some point during their adolescent years.Birth Control Conceals PCOSMany young women start hormonal birth control in their late teens and early 20s, such as the pill, the NuvaRing, the patch, and the Depo Provera injection. While they differ in the way that the hormones are deposited into the body, all of these options release small amounts of hormones like estrogen and/or progesterone.When the Condition Is Usually DiagnosedWomen with PCOS who are not on birth control tend to have irregular menstrual cycles, meaning that they are not ovulating regularly. This can lead to difficulty in becoming pregnant.Since it’s not unusual to have irregular periods and acne in the months following stopping your hormonal birth control, the symptoms of PCOS may still not be apparent at this point. This is especially true because most doctors recommend waiting at least a few months before trying to get pregnant.It’s not a coincidence that many women are diagnosed with PCOS a few months after they come off their hormonal birth control as they are trying to get pregnant. The absence of these hormones tends to make the symptoms more apparent, as women become more aware of their irregular menstrual cycles.Fortunately, there are a number oftreatmentsand lifestyle changes that can help women manage PCOS.
Many women don’t become aware they havepolycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) until they are trying to get pregnant in their 20s or 30s. As a result, the diagnosis may come as a surprise, and many women wonder why it wasn’t discovered earlier in life. Unfortunately, symptoms of PCOS are often ignored as something else or go undetected entirely, making diagnosis challenging.
This article discusses the factors that prevent early detection of PCOS.
Frederic Cirou / PhotoAlto / Getty Images
Signs Often Go Undetected
The most common symptoms of PCOS includeirregular or absent periods, acne, weight gain, and irregular hair growth on the face, chest, or body. In addition, many women with PCOS have many small cysts on their ovaries, causing a characteristic polycystic appearance on an ultrasound. This can look like a string of pearls surrounding the ovaries.
Diagnosing PCOScan be difficult since there isn’t a specific test that can be performed. Each woman’s experience of PCOS is unique because no two women have the exact same symptoms.
Some women have physical signs of PCOS like hair growth, acne, and obesity, but they get regular periods.Other women are extremely lean but have irregular periods and ovaries that appear polycystic on an ultrasound.
Symptoms Mimic Those Experienced During Adolescence
The symptoms that are associated with PCOS are often mistaken for those that are experiencedduring adolescence. Most physicians would consider irregular periods, acne, and weight gain to be normal signs of adolescence and wouldn’t diagnose PCOS until later in life.
Most women, in fact, wouldn’t think that anything was abnormal if they were having problems with acne or irregular periods late into their teens because a majority of teens have experienced these issues at some point during their adolescent years.
Birth Control Conceals PCOS
Many young women start hormonal birth control in their late teens and early 20s, such as the pill, the NuvaRing, the patch, and the Depo Provera injection. While they differ in the way that the hormones are deposited into the body, all of these options release small amounts of hormones like estrogen and/or progesterone.
When the Condition Is Usually Diagnosed
Women with PCOS who are not on birth control tend to have irregular menstrual cycles, meaning that they are not ovulating regularly. This can lead to difficulty in becoming pregnant.
Since it’s not unusual to have irregular periods and acne in the months following stopping your hormonal birth control, the symptoms of PCOS may still not be apparent at this point. This is especially true because most doctors recommend waiting at least a few months before trying to get pregnant.
It’s not a coincidence that many women are diagnosed with PCOS a few months after they come off their hormonal birth control as they are trying to get pregnant. The absence of these hormones tends to make the symptoms more apparent, as women become more aware of their irregular menstrual cycles.
Fortunately, there are a number oftreatmentsand lifestyle changes that can help women manage PCOS.
1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.El hayek S, Bitar L, Hamdar LH, Mirza FG, Daoud G.Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: An Updated Overview.Front Physiol. 2016;7:124. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00124Additional ReadingEscobar-morreale HF.Polycystic ovary syndrome: definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.Nat Rev Endocrinol.2018;14(5):270-284. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2018.24
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.El hayek S, Bitar L, Hamdar LH, Mirza FG, Daoud G.Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: An Updated Overview.Front Physiol. 2016;7:124. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00124Additional ReadingEscobar-morreale HF.Polycystic ovary syndrome: definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.Nat Rev Endocrinol.2018;14(5):270-284. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2018.24
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
El hayek S, Bitar L, Hamdar LH, Mirza FG, Daoud G.Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: An Updated Overview.Front Physiol. 2016;7:124. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00124
Escobar-morreale HF.Polycystic ovary syndrome: definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.Nat Rev Endocrinol.2018;14(5):270-284. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2018.24
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
