PCOS - It’s complicated?
Hello children! All at once the summer has collapsed into fall, and with September, when the autumn is awakened, so is the enthusiasm of Project Naari to talk about the most over-hyped yet under-hyped arena of menstrual health — PCOS. Today, I don’t want to be the grumpy Uncle Tom; but as a concerned adult, I want to convey some aspects of the not so well known theories of PCOS or Polycystic ovary syndrome.
The first period of an adolescent girl is always a matter of sheer happiness for the entire family as the onset of the first bleeding marks the attainment of complete womanhood .But when she misses her periods, it often invites a flood of questions on her capability a being a complete woman. In spite of attaining more than 70 years of freedom, the femininity of a woman is only defined by her fertility, virginity and vulnerability to the norms of the patriarchal society. So the absence of periods in some months, was least considered as a biological call, but often framed as a threat over fertility.
I have witnessed generations of women in my family, battling with irregular periods. The menstrual medical science during my time wasn’t well developed; and women with irregular periods and visible symptoms of now called PCOS, often questioned their femininity. The facial hair or any visibility of excess hair on a women body was often marked as a shame on the feminine glory. The dark patches around some parts of their body ,was never considered as a sign of our body indicating something hazardous but, the possibility of having connection with witch-crafts. The not so long and thick hair or visibility of baldness has invited the unwanted smirks and questions on her being enough “womanly”. The miscarriages and complications of pregnancies often sparked the debates on the future or the upcoming heir of the family, eventually leading to the unethical polygamy of the male member.
The not so friendly PCOS then robbed innocent women’s happiness and drained her emotionally, mentally and morally. Call it the consequence of genetic mutation or environmental factors or the terrific lifestyle or the never ending stress of day-to-day life; cases of PCOS have risen dynamically in the last twenty years. One in every five women is troubled by the aftermath of this syndrome. But with the advancement of time, the few mysteries revolving around periods were solved. Although the actual reason and treatment of PCOS still remains unanswered, sadly the saga of bullying still continues to this date.
You may now give me huge theories of how well aware our system is about PCOS and how they are really supportive. But question yourself once again, “Are we really being supportive? From hurling judgments on an obese body to calling them “Fatso”;or joking about their facial hair or their dark patches or our unnecessary glares at the visible baldness, we have left no stones unturned in making up a pile of insecurities in the helpless victim’s life. Infertility, weight gain, miscarriage, irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings, insulin resistance, acne, nausea, back pain, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, eating disorders, cancer and cysts on the ovaries- they are already dealing with this long list of medical complexities , and our unnecessary judgments and mockery overburdens their mental health more. In fact, 70% of the cases of depression in cases of women are directly or indirectly related to PCOS, half of which are contributed just because of the so called cool casual stereotyping comments.
The imbalance in sex hormones or insulin or being vulnerable to more worsening metabolic complications of PCOS such as pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease could be the reasons for their depression and anxiety attacks. Higher levels of androgens, or male hormones classically associated with the condition, may also contribute to higher rates of mood disorders in women with PCOS.
Many women prevent themselves from taking professionals help, due to the underlying myth that the medications may lead to infertility, but their ignorance often results in worsening their health conditions often leading to occurrence of ovarian cancer in some cases. And while talking about the less fortunate ones in the society where the regular access to menstrual hygiene is somewhat a dream, the awareness regarding PCOS is still a far call for them.
But there is always a silver lining in the dark clouds; in the modern times all the genders have come forward in uplifting their PCOS counterparts. It is amazing to see how the millennials are actually breaking the century old taboos and working relentlessly to normalize the menstrual irregularities and raising awareness among their peers. From reviving the yoga practices to the vedic balanced green diet the youth of today has surely succeeded in keeping a check on women’s health , thereby making a huge difference. But still we have a long way to go ahead. It is overwhelming to see the gender parity in supporting each other and working with each other towards a safe menstrual health. As an effect of the wave of concern over social media and by any nonprofit association, more women are taking professionals’ help in dealing with PCOS and talking about it.
Women with PCOS don’t need our sympathy but our support. So this September, along with Project Naari, let’s fight with PCOS more efficiently. I have seen my daughters having sleepless nights battling with PCOS due to lack of knowledge and the ”hush- hush” culture surrounding menstruation, but now the time has changed; the youth can actually take over the world. As a concerned adult but more as a responsible father, I expect the readers to actually go to the depth of the problem and understand that “PCOS will be terrible only if timely precautions are not taken”. So my dearest kids, together let’s make PCOS, may be a little less complicated!
My blessings and well wishes!!
Sayonara!!!!!
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Written with a vision by Avilipa
Designed with love with Dheeraj
