POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an ovulation and infertility disorder that occurs in many women. PCOS dates back to 1845 when it was described in a French manuscript as “changes in the ovaries.” It was called “sclerocystic”. Polycystic ovary syndrome is a problem that occurs with the ovaries. A “polycystic ovary is characterized by a hard, thickened, shiny white covering overlying a layer of many small cysts just beneath the ovarian surface.” (Thatcher, 10). This is the description found in the French manuscript and which is still used today by doctors to define polycystic ovaries. A wedge resection in the early 1900s was the first form of treatment for this syndrome. PCOS doesn't just involve ovaries filled with small cysts. Polycystic ovary syndrome causes infertility in women. PCOS can cause a variety of symptoms. It can cause everything from obesity to missed periods. It also causes women to have more male hormones in their bodies, causing male hair to grow. Not all PCOS patients have excessive hair growth, some may have other skin conditions, such as acne. PCOS is one of the most well-known causes of missed menstrual cycles and “infertility due to failure to ovulate”. (Thatcher, 12) There are three main reasons why women with PCOS receive medical treatment. The first is that they have missed their menstrual cycles. A woman's menstrual cycle should not be light, short or irregular. There are steps that a woman's body must go through in order for the woman to become pregnant. There is a normal menstrual cycle that a woman's body should go through, and if not, the woman has an irregular cycle. This process involves moving an egg to a fertilizing location, developing a lining in the uterus, then losing that lining when the egg is not fertilized. The second reason women receive medical care for PCOS is that they have concerns about their physique......middle of paper......and for me to try to regulate my cycle. If I didn't want to have a child, he would have prescribed me some type of birth control pill to help me in this process of regulating my cycle. The small cysts form when the egg comes out and do not go beyond the outside of the ovary. My egg sticks to my ovary and forms a cyst. This is what caused me to have irregular menstrual cycles. I am currently overweight and am trying to keep it under control by exercising and following a diet. PCOS is something that is common among many women and can happen to anyone, even the healthiest woman. Work Cited Hammerly, Milton MD and Kimball, Cheryl, “What to Do When the Doctor Says It's PCOS,” (Fair Winds Press, 2003).Thatcher, Samuel SMD, Ph.D., “PCOS (Political Ovary Syndrome) The Hidden Epidemic", (Perspectives Press, 2000). Personal Experience, Christina Chivalier, February. 2005.