PCOS Awareness Month 2025: You Are Not Alone, Experiences From Women With PCOS

September is recognised globally as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about this widespread endocrine and metabolic disorder that affect women and girls of reproductive age. Fortunately, on a global level the digital footprint of PCOS Awareness Month has grown since 2017. As we explore this condition in depth during this month, we also draw attention to insulin resistance, infertility, mental health, hormones, depression as well as anxiety. This helps us highlight the multifaceted nature of the condition and the need for holistic public education.

A systematic review of lived experiences around PCOS emphasises the emotional burn from delayed diagnoses, lack of supportive information and dissatisfaction, pointing to the urgent need for more compassion, patient-centred strategies and educational resources. Beyond statistics and campaigns, lived experiences bring the reality of PCOS into sharp focus. These personal stories reflect more that just the symptoms that come along with the condition, they also underscore social isolation, dismissive healthcare experiences and internalised shame.

Women in India face these issues and more due to the taboo surrounding women's sexual health and lack of proper sex education along all socioeconomic facets. As an attempt to raise awareness on what it really is like to live with PCOS, we share patient diaries. We understand their experience living with PCOS and how it engages with their daily life as well as mental and physical health. So, instead of just talking about PCOS, we hear from the women who live with it. Here are a few glimpses into their diaries. 

Krati Purwar, 30, Lifestyle Journalist

“I remember growing up, everyone used to point at my facial hair, especially my sidelocks. Periods have always been painful for me, and don't get me started on the pain I experience during ovulation. When I was 23-24, I was working, earning, and obviously eating more junk food. I started putting on weight, and by then, facial hair on my chin and cheeks also became more visible. After getting diagnosed with PCOS in 2019-2020, I even went for Laser hair reduction (because I am highly conscious of them). By the way, no doctor (at least the dermatologists I consulted) tells you that the process does not work for PCOS girlies. My gynaec told me a few months back.

Living with this lifestyle disorder is honestly hard because you have several things going on at the back of your head. The biggest being infertility issues, whether you experience it or not, you are always stressed about the future. Apart from this, PCOS is not just about losing weight. No offence to experts, but if weight loss were the medicine, this syndrome would have been curable.

I recently discovered that PCOS causes insulin resistance and increases your chances of diabetes. I have cut down on sugar. To lose weight, you need to work out, but do you know what stops you? Symptoms of PCOS. Experts will tell you to eat this or that, but they never tell you that every woman experiences an array of symptoms. For me, it's weight gain, cravings, fatigue, facial hair, bad cramps, brain fog, stress, pigmentation, bloating, and a few more that I can't keep track of. Despite sleeping for 7-8 hours, I wake up tired in the morning.

I try to exercise at least 20 minutes a day (whenever I can), I have cut down maida, aerated drinks, and desserts (except chocolates). I try to include more protein and fibre in my diet and work on stress management, which is tricky when you are a journo. I try to experiment with foods that can help me uplift my mood while curbing my cravings.”

Managing PCOS can be stressful. While lack of proper treatment and cure still lies, certain lifestyle changes can help you better manage it. Some strategies to consider for PCOS management:

• Eat healthy, balanced meals and avoid ultra-porcessed foods.
• Stay active, aim for 30 minutes of movement at least 5 times a day.
• Try to maintain healthy weight. Although hard it can significantly improve symptoms
• Sleep for 8-10 hours daily and set a sleep schedule for better quality sleep.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine as they can both affect your sleep and hormonal health.

Poulomy Dey, 27, Public Relations Professional

"I was 16 when my life took an unexpected turn. Between sports practice, board exam prep and the usual teenage hustle, I suddenly began noticing painful acne, stubborn weight gain and facial hair. The diagnosis? Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Back in 2014, the term was alien to me. What hurt more was the way it was explained — as a “lazy girl's disease.” I wasn't lazy. I was running between classrooms and fields, often quite literally. That label stayed, and it hurt.

What followed was a cycle of contraceptives, weight fluctuations, hair loss, and endless trial-and-error workouts. With PCOS, the body is confused. Stress makes it worse. Traditional fitness routines didn't always work, and neither did the one-size-fits-all diets people suggested. Over the years, I was warned about insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, which made me realise this wasn't a phase to ‘outgrow' — it was something I had to learn to coexist with.

And here's the truth: PCOS is not your fault. It's not laziness, not weakness, not a reflection of discipline. It's a condition that manifests differently in every patient. For some, it's about cutting gluten, for others, dairy. For me, it's been about trial, error, and listening closely to what my body responds to.

Nearly a decade later, as a working professional in Mumbai, I've learned PCOS can be managed — not cured, but managed. Movement helps, the right nutrition helps, but most of all, patience helps.
Living with PCOS is not about “fixing yourself.” It's about finding balance and refusing to let the condition define you. Today, I don't see PCOS as a punishment — just a hormonal plus-one I never asked for, but one I'm learning to live with, on my own terms."

Chehak Nagpal, 24, Digital Marketing Associate

“I was first diagnosed with PCOS when I was around 16 or 17. My mom had noticed that I still hadn't gotten my period and decided to take me to a gynaecologist for a regular check-up. That's when the doctor told us I had PCOS.

The doctor said she was seeing a lot more people going through this and gave me some medications. At that time, I had no idea what they were for. One was birth control and another was for weight loss, along with some other medicines. I took them for a couple of months and started noticing some weight loss, but mentally I wasn't feeling it. I used to have constant headaches and would cry all the time because I felt so sad and confused. The facial hair started growing on my sidelocks, arms, legs, upper lip – basically everywhere – and I was very conscious about it. I just wasn't okay. We went back to the same doctor and told her how sad I was feeling and how my sleep patterns were very irregular. She put me on different medications and this went on for a little over a year.

Gradually, I stopped taking any medications because I didn't want to feel that constant sadness anymore. Then I went to college. My periods were still irregular, but I didn't give much thought to it during those three years. After college, my periods completely stopped. When I came back home and gained more knowledge, I started watching content about PCOS and what it actually is. I started reading up on what was happening with my body and decided to go to a different doctor.

The thing is, I live in a small town and there aren't very specialized doctors here. They all kept putting me on birth control, which gave me these “fake periods” – withdrawal bleeding – but that wasn't really helping. I kept reading about the symptoms and became more aware of what was happening, but I wasn't finding any real solutions.

Then I started working in corporate and put my health on the back seat. Till date, my periods are extremely irregular. I haven't found the right doctor, the right medication, and honestly, I haven't found the will to fix my lifestyle either. I think about this issue every single day – the weight gain, unwanted hair, mood swings, irregular sleep, all of it affecting me and people around me. I know it's not good.

Right now, my focus is on somehow fixing my lifestyle and then finding a better doctor who can actually guide me through this. I'm tired of dealing with this alone and I know I need to take better care of myself. It's not going to be easy, but I have to try."

One of the most common medication prescribed to women with PCOS is birth control pills. It is believed to balance hormone levels and reduce adrogens. However, birth control comes with its own set of side effects which can further accelerate mental and physical health issues in women. Make sure to check with a health professional before starting on birth control pills. If birth control pills make you feel worse, discuss with your doctor what's the next step. 

Samakshi Belwal, 24, Lawyer

"I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 15. Since then, it has been a constant part of my life in ways both visible and invisible.

Physically, I deal with weight gain, late and painful periods that last for days, changes in the color of my period blood, hair loss, and excess facial hair (which I eventually had to get lasered off). 

I am emotional, and I have mood swings which have been difficult to manage, and on a day-to-day basis PCOS leaves me feeling anxious, low on energy, and constantly fatigued. The brain fog, especially during work, makes it harder to focus and I often find myself craving fatty or sugary foods (ironically, the very things that worsen PCOS symptoms.)

Managing it has been an ongoing trial and error. I tried the pill, but it only made me gain stubborn hormonal weight. Diet changes helped for a while, even bringing back my periods, but the moment my stress levels rose, the symptoms flared up again. the weight gain returned and my cycles stopped despite restrictive eating. What I've realized is that PCOS is as much about mental health and stress management as it is about food or medication, and learning to be patient with myself has been the only sustainable way forward."

These stories reveal the silent battles and the strength it takes to live with a condition that is misunderstood from its core, in hopes that speaking about personal experiences draws focus to better diagnosis and treatment for not only PCOS but women's health in general.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

References

Evaluating global digital awareness campaigns for PCOS using Google Trends data. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Exploring PCOS awareness month and online engagement: A cross-sectional analysis. Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Epidemiology of PCOS in India: Clinical and cultural perspectives. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Lived experiences of women with PCOS: A systematic review. Frontiers in Endocrinology.