'PCOS patients facing widespread failures in the UK isn't news to us - we've been screaming it into the abyss for years but no one listened'
This week, reports emerged declaring UK patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) have been subject to 'widespread failures' and I have just one thing to say to that - well, duh!
Women living with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) face prolonged delays in diagnosis and limited access to treatment, according a survey of more than 2,000 patients on their experiences, as well as freedom of information requests to all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England.
PCOS is a common condition in women where hormone imbalance disrupts ovulation. It causes irregular periods, ovarian cysts, acne, weight gain, and excess hair growth and is linked to insulin resistance and higher risks of diabetes and heart disease.
The report states that more than a third of women with the condition had to wait longer than four years for a PCOS diagnosis and after diagnosis almost 38% were not provided with any resources once they were diagnosed.
By any logical sense - this would be shocking. Health providers not doing anything about a health condition?! Crazy... unless it's a gynaecological problem, in which case, it very much seems to be the norm.
Unfortunately for women like me, this report didn't come as much of a shock to me. It's actually what we've been screaming into the abyss for years but no one seemed to care enough to take it seriously.
I was diagnosed with PCOS at 17 - but I had actually been to the doctors, experiencing symptoms of weight gain, acne, hair growth, anxiety, depression and irregular cycles at just 14.
