When There’s a Dearth of Good Information on Women’s Health, a Million Scams Bloom

In my mid-20s, a gynecologist diagnosed me with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, a common hormonal condition for which there is no standard test; only a constellation of symptoms can trigger a diagnosis. I was told I could have trouble getting pregnant and was given very little additional information, though internet research suggested I might be at greater risk for diabetes and cardiovascular problems later in life. I always knew I wanted children. I was devastated.

PCOS can be diagnosed if you have two of three symptoms: hyperandrogenism (an excess of the androgen hormones, which are associated with acne, male-pattern hair growth, insulin resistance and weight gain), irregular periods and ovarian cysts. I did not have hyperandrogenism or any of the related physical symptoms, but my periods had never been regular, and an ultrasound revealed my ovaries to have so many cysts, they looked like the craters on the moon.

I started trying to get pregnant in my late 20s, earlier than all my peers, in part because I had been told it might be hard for me. It wasn’t. I got pregnant within two months with my older daughter and conceived the first month I started trying the next time around. That second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and I wanted to know if I needed to start trying again immediately. I had my new obstetrician refer me to a gynecologist who was an expert in PCOS, unlike the doctor who originally gave me the diagnosis (I left her practice because she had been so dismissive of my questions and concerns).