PCOS is surrounded by myths that make it harder to understand and even harder to live with. Here are 16 myths and facts to help set the record straight.

🔹 1. Myth: PCOS always means you have ovarian cysts.

Fact: The name is misleading as not everyone with PCOS has cysts on their ovaries. 

🔹 2. Myth: PCOS only affects your periods.

Fact: PCOS affects the whole body. Including but not limited to hormones, metabolism, skin, fertility, mental health and even long-term health risks like diabetes and heart disease.

🔹 3. Myth: If you’re thin, you can’t have PCOS.

Fact: PCOS affects people of all body sizes. Lean PCOS is real and often overlooked. They face many of the same challenges, just without visible weight gain.

🔹 4. Myth: Birth control pills cure PCOS.

Fact: Pills may help regulate cycles and manage symptoms, but they don’t cure PCOS. The condition remains after you stop taking them.

🔹 5. Myth: PCOS is rare.

Fact: It affects around 1 in 10 women and people with ovaries worldwide (for instance, intersex people), making it one of the most common hormonal conditions.

🔹 6. Myth: You can’t get pregnant if you have PCOS.

Fact: Fertility may be harder, but many women with PCOS do conceive naturally or with medical help.

🔹 7. Myth: Weight gain in PCOS is just from bad habits.

Fact: PCOS is closely linked to insulin resistance, which makes weight loss harder and weight gain more likely even with healthy habits.

🔹 8. Myth: Everyone with PCOS looks or feels the same.

Fact: PCOS looks different for everyone. Some may struggle mostly with periods, others with skin or fertility issues, and others with mental health, hair changes or weight. Our symptoms are unique to us.

🔹 9. Myth: PCOS ends at menopause.

Fact: Symptoms like irregular periods may ease, but hormonal and metabolic risks (diabetes, heart disease) remain post-menopause.

🔹 10. Myth: Irregular periods always mean PCOS.

Fact: Many things can cause irregular cycles (thyroid issues, stress, extreme exercise). PCOS is just one possibility.

🔹 11. Myth: Only adults get PCOS.

Fact: Symptoms can start as early as puberty, but often gets brushed off as “teen hormones.”

🔹 12. Myth: PCOS is just a fertility condition.

Fact: It’s an endocrine and metabolic disorder with far-reaching effects.

🔹 13. Myth: You can always tell if someone has PCOS.

Fact: Some symptoms are invisible, like insulin resistance, mood changes or difficulty ovulating. PCOS is not always “seen,” but often felt.

🔹 14. PCOS causes acne because of bad hygiene.

Fact: PCOS acne is driven by hormonal imbalance, not hygiene. No amount of face washing can “fix” it alone. Work has to start from your insides and the result will reflect outwards.

🔹 15. Myth: Lifestyle changes don’t matter for PCOS.

Fact: While there’s no cure for PCOS, nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management can dramatically improve symptoms and long-term outcomes.

🔹 16. Myth: PCOS is easy to diagnose with one test.

Fact: Diagnosis is complex. It often requires blood tests, ultrasound, and ruling out other conditions. Many go years undiagnosed. This means you also can’t self diagnose.