Myth 1: PCOS is a rare condition, and affects only a few.
PCOS is a very common hormonal issue. PCOS affects one in every ten women of reproductive age.
Myth 2: You cannot get pregnant if you have PCOS.
PCOS does make pregnancy challenging due to the ovaries failing to function properly. However, the symptoms are manageable through a change in diet and activity and medication to cause ovulation.
Myth 3: PCOS only affects obese women.
Although rapid weight gain is common with PCOS, this condition can also affect lean women. Using weight as a sole diagnosis criterion may lead to misdiagnoses because not all women who are overweight with irregular periods have PCOS. Similarly, lean women with PCOS might be overlooked due to this factor.
Myth 4: To have PCOS, you must have Polycystic Ovaries.
This is a misconception, not all PCOS patients have follicles in their ovaries.
Myth 5: An irregular menstrual cycle means PCOS.
PCOS is one cause of irregular menstruation, but there are numerous others.
Myth 6: You need to cut out carbohydrates if you have PCOS.
Insulin in the body is used to digest carbohydrates. Due to insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS, their body may be resistant to certain types of carbohydrates. However, restricting carbohydrates completely will do more harm than good. It is recommended to consume low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates as part of a balanced meal throughout the day. Vegetables, whole meal bread, chapatti, brown rice, lentils, and beans are some of the examples of low GI carbohydrates.
References:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/symptoms/
