Ever since I got my period in 8th grade, my cycle has been irregular. I would go months without menstruating, and when I finally did, it would be extremely heavy. As many women often do, I believed the narrative that there was nothing to be concerned about. I mean, hey! Less periods, less to worry about, right?
It wasn’t until I was a senior in high school that I began to get concerned about my irregular periods. I reluctantly made my first appointment at the gynecologist, hoping to be told that everything was okay. The doctor definitely told me that everything was okay, but she did so after little to no examination. I explained my issue, and before I had hardly finished, she had prescribed me birth control. Uneducated and afraid to speak up for myself, I uncomfortably accepted her recommendation for birth control. Every three months when my prescription ran up, I would try to go off of the medication. My “period” was coming more, but still very irregular, which was the sole reason that I was seeking medical help. Yet every time I went back to the gynecologist, I would just get scolded for not waiting for my body to adjust to the new birth control. After several appointments, I would just come home and cry. What if there was something seriously wrong with my body? What if I couldn’t have children? This cycle repeated itself for several years to come.
January 2020, I finally had the courage to stand up for myself. I went to a new doctor and expressed to her my issue, but this time along with my frustrations. I did not want to be on birth control. I wanted to know what was going on with my body. “You definitely seem like you take this seriously,” the doctor told me. “Most girls your age only care to put a bandaid on the issue, which is why we typically prescribe birth control.” For the first time, I felt as though I was being taken seriously, and for the first time, I recognized how problematic it is to “band-aid” menstrual health issues.
So I was scheduled for a work-up, which included blood tests, an ultrasound, and various other examinations. After an anxious couple of weeks of waiting for results, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). When you are used to being told time and time again that there is nothing wrong, that your concerns are irrational, it comes as a shock when you actually have a diagnosis. You need two of three PCOS qualifiers to be diagnosed: irregular periods, polycystic ovaries, and high testosterone levels. Since I did not have high testosterone levels, which tends to be more identifiable, the doctors did not think it was necessary to test me. Although nerve-wracking, I also felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. My doctor and I were able to come up with an immediate game plan, as well as a game plan for when/if I began trying for kids one day. Since then, I started taking progesterone supplements for two weeks every month, and the issue has practically resolved itself.
If there is one thing that you should take away from my story, it’s this: Stand up for yourself and your menstrual health. You are worth it!
