Question:
What exactly is it?

I've seen so many people mention in their profiles having PCOS but I don't know exactly what this illness is. Can someone please elaborate. Thanks.    — Belinda S. (posted on April 30, 2002)

April 30, 2002
PCOS.. or polycystic ovarian syndrome... causes all kinds of fun things..like hair growing on face, chest, stomach etc. Brown patches places like groin and under breast and arm pits. Makes it harder to lose weight, causes acne. It messes up your menstrual cycle and you won't get your period for months or years but all that lining builds up and in my case I have had my period for 3+ months straight at various times. It can/does cause infertility and elevated blood sugars eventually leading to diabetes as we age. It is not fun. A lot of overwieght women suffer from this and losing weight really helps with the symptoms.
   — Allie A.

April 30, 2002
Here is a web site for PCOS...www.soulcysters.com, you can find out any information about PCOS. Hope this helps, Michelle
   — Michelle M.

April 30, 2002
Thanks for the information and the website...extremely informative. Belinda
   — Belinda S.

April 30, 2002
It has a funny name that leads people to believe it is just a reproductive/menstral/fertility etc. issue; however it actually is a Endocrine Disorder. You can even have it even though you may have had a hysterectomy. It usually rears it's ugly head around the start of puberty. It can lurk secretly for years, carefully hidden under BC Pills. 1 in 16 women have it- they just all have different symptoms- which is why is classified as a Syndrome rather than a Disease. Women who have it have face a higher risk of Heart Disease, etc. You can also read about it at: http://www.inciid.org/faq/pcos.html or go read my site.
   — Karen R.