PCOS is a hormonal and metabolic disorder affecting 15-20 % of Australian women. The symptoms include irregular periods, excess hair growth and or acne and often obesity.

The cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is not well understood, but probably involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

The symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient and the diagnosis can be difficult to make:

• Menstrual: abnormal menstruation, absence of menstruation, heavy menstruation, irregular menstruation, short and light menstruation, or spotting, generally cycles shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days.
• Weight: obesity, overweight, or weight gain
• Skin: acne or oily skin, loss of scalp hair or excess body hair
• Patients will also often have difficulty falling pregnant