Hormones

PCOS / PCOD

1.7

PCOS / PCOD: Why PCOS is linked with so many different symptoms.

7 sections, about 13 minutes in total

10–13%

Between 10 and 13 percent of reproductive-age women have PCOS (WHO).

up to 70%

Up to 70 percent of women with PCOS go undiagnosed worldwide (WHO).

100 days

Our structured 1:1 coaching program for PCOS runs for 100 days.

Section 1 of 7:

Start with the signs

The signs of PCOS.

PCOS means your ovaries make more androgens than usual, and most women with it also have high insulin. Those two things drive nearly every sign. You do not need all of them, and they often show up years apart. Tap the signs you have to see why they happen.

Nothing you tap is stored. This is a mirror for you, not a form for us.

Section 2 of 7:

Not all PCOS is the same

The types of PCOS.

There are four medical types of PCOS, named A to D, based on which of the three diagnostic signals you have. You will also see informal labels like insulin-resistant, adrenal or post-pill PCOS. Those describe what is driving your symptoms rather than a diagnosis. Tap a type to see what it means and where a plan would start.

Tap a tab to open it. The detail lands here.

Types A to D are the medical types from the 2023 international guideline, based on which Rotterdam signals you have. The other labels are informal. They describe the driver behind your symptoms, and many women fit more than one.

Section 3 of 7:

What the evidence says

What the common PCOS claims get wrong.

PCOS is a common and manageable reason for irregular ovulation, and many women with PCOS conceive. No diet makes it go away, and the 2023 guideline puts sustainable habits first. Where weight loss is relevant, 5 to 10 percent can help ovulation return. The pill is one tool among several, and PCOS reaches well beyond the cycle.

The claimPCOS means I cannot get pregnant.
What the evidence saysNo. PCOS is one of the most common and most manageable reasons for irregular ovulation, and it can make conceiving take longer. But many women with PCOS conceive, with and without help. It is a fertility factor to work on alongside medical care, and a diagnosis does not mean you cannot have children.
The claimCutting carbs cures my PCOS.
What the evidence saysThe evidence is thin for this one. Lower-glycaemic eating (foods that raise blood sugar more slowly) can help blood sugar and insulin for many with PCOS, but there is no diet that makes the syndrome go away. The 2023 guideline recommends sustainable habits as first-line care rather than any single diet. No eating pattern has been shown to be clearly better than the others.
The claimLosing weight fixes everything.
What the evidence saysPartly true. Where weight loss is relevant, even 5 to 10 percent can help ovulation return and improve insulin and androgen markers. That is real and worthwhile, but it is not a complete answer and it does not apply to everyone. Lean PCOS shows that the metabolic work matters more than the number on the scale.
The claimThe birth-control pill is the only option.
What the evidence saysThe evidence does not support this. The pill is one tool used to regulate cycles and help skin and hair symptoms. It is not the only option, and it does not address the insulin resistance underneath. Which option fits you is a medical decision.
The claimPCOS is just a period problem.
What the evidence saysNo. It is a whole-body metabolic and hormonal pattern linked to insulin resistance. It also carries higher long-term risks, including type 2 diabetes. That is why the daily habits matter well beyond the cycle.

These summaries reflect the cited research and will change if the research changes.

Section 4 of 7:

What's driving your symptoms

How the PCOS cycle works.

Follow the cycle around once to see how each step feeds the next, and where daily habits can reach it.

Tap a step to open it. Each one carries the detail.

Where daily habits can help

Insulin is the one part of this cycle that nutrition, strength training and sleep reach directly. When insulin sensitivity improves, cycles often become more regular, cravings ease and energy comes back.

Section 5 of 7:

The Rotterdam criteria

How do I know if I have PCOS?

PCOS is diagnosed with the Rotterdam criteria. There are three signals. In adults, having any two of the three is PCOS, once other causes such as a thyroid problem or high prolactin are ruled out. Tap each signal to see what it means.

0/3

Nothing checked yet. Tap each card that matches, and the verdict updates as you go.

This is a learning tool, not a diagnosis. Each signal needs proper testing to confirm it. For teenagers, only the first two signals count, because the ovary pattern is normal at that age.

Section 6 of 7:

Now the part you control

Six habits that improve insulin sensitivity.

Lifestyle is first-line care in the 2023 guideline. Strength training does the most for insulin sensitivity. Tap a habit to see what to do.

Tap a tab to open it. The detail lands here.

In the 2023 guideline, a 5–10% weight loss, where relevant, is linked to better ovulation, androgen and insulin markers, and habits you can keep matter more than any single diet.

Section 7 of 7:

What we track

Progress you can actually measure.

The first three are yours to track, and the last comes from testing. These numbers show progress even in weeks when you do not feel it.

Cycle length Ovulation signal

What it is
Your cycle length is a free signal you can track every month. For most adults a cycle runs 21 to 35 days.
Why it matters here
Cycles over 35 days or fewer than 8 a year point to irregular ovulation, the most visible sign of the underlying pattern.
How we move it
As insulin sensitivity improves, cycles often become more regular. This is the marker we watch most.

Where the numbers fall

Short

under 21 days

Typical

21–35 days

Long

over 35 days

Green is the healthy zone. These are general adult reference ranges. Your lab report shows the range it used, and that is the one that counts. You can track this one yourself.

Ranges come from the sources cited above. Your lab's reference values and your own results come first.

Keep going

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