Have you ever heard of polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS?  Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormone imbalance that can make your periods come at irregular times, unwanted hair growth and acne. PCOS is a common problem -- one out of every 10 women has PCOS—it is especially a problem for teenage girls and young women.

What causes PCOS?

PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance that makes the female body make more male sex hormones (like testosterone) than normal. This leads to many different signs or symptoms that include:

• Infertility
• Pelvic pain.
• Excess hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, thumbs, or toes.
• Baldness or thinning hair.
• Acne, oily skin, or dandruff.
• Patches of thickened dark brown or black skin.
• Many small cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in  ovaries.

There is no cure for PCOS. However, there are many ways that a woman with PCOS can manage her symptoms such as:

• Having a healthy diet.
• Being physically active.
• Taking birth control pills and metformin

These things can help woman menstruate every month, reduce male hormone levels, and can help clear acne.

To learn more about PCOS visit the Women’s Health.gov website.