The first time I heard of the term PCOS, a friend’s friend was recounting how she could go months without menstruating. I didn’t really get the picture until another friend opened up to me about her weight gain struggles and how they are connected to PCOS.

Then earlier this year, I found a tweet that said PCOS would not have been discovered if the affected women were able to conceive. It wasn’t until doctors were investigating why some women could not conceive did they make the connection with previously dismissed symptoms.

This led me to Google “dismissal of women’s health issues”, and I found so many related articles and search suggestions that were eye-opening and led me to a deeper dive. Even today, the first advice most women get from doctors when they present with gynaecological health problems is “try to have kids early so you don’t have issues later on.”