Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Essay

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First discovered in 1935 by Stein and Leventhal, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder that is characterized by menstrual irregularity, subfertility and infertility, clinically obvious hyperadrogenism, and metabolic dysfunction in women (Azziz, 2015). Although the etiology of this complex condition is unclear, the prevalence is about 20-40% in women who have mothers and sisters with PCOS, strongly suggesting a genetic association (Azziz, 2015). B.L. presented to the clinic on 10/15/15 with a chief complaint of irregular menstrual cycle and seeking a referral to her OB-GYN for further evaluation and management. B.L. voiced concerns regarding her menstrual cycle and inability to conceive for the last year. Being a newlywed, she found this particularly distressing as she and her husband were hoping to start a family soon after they were married. Her inability to conceive questioned her values and worth as a woman as she believed that being a woman means …show more content…

reported that her menstrual cycles had “always been irregular” since she was an adolescent at age 15 (onset of menarche). When questioned regarding irregularity, she stated that she had never had a 28-day cycle in that some months she would get her menstrual cycle while other months she wouldn’t. B.L. stated that the same has been occurring; however, it has “gotten much worse” as now she was going 3-4 months without a period. She mentioned that she had had her last Pap smear and pelvic exam in February 2015 with normal results; however, she stated that her OB-GYN had also done a transvaginal ultrasound and had told her that she had multiple bilateral ovarian cysts. At that same time, her OB-GYN had prescribed her metformin; however, she never had the prescription filled since she became unemployed shortly thereafter and lost her insurance coverage. She states she “had no idea” what he had diagnosed her with and why she had to take metformin if she was not