The Feminism & Psychology Undergraduate Prize 1999: Prizewinning Entry

Abstract

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS),1 first reported by Stein and Leventhal (1935), is a heterogeneous condition (not to be confused with large cysts on the ovaries) characterized by infertility or higher risk of miscarriage, hirsutism (‘excess’ hair growth), amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea (irregular or no menstrual cycle), menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding), anovulation, weight gain or obesity, acne vulgaris, androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss), insulin resistance and excess androgen production (Adams et al., 1986; Ginsburg and Havard, 1976). It is estimated that up to 20 percent of women (Polson et al., 1988) may be affected by PCOS, but not all display symptoms, present for diagnosis or are accurately diagnosed. Outside the realm of gynaecology, public knowledge of PCOS is limited, and despite a far-reaching concern with women’s health issues, feminist awareness of, or activism in relation to, the condition appears to be minimal. The New Our Bodies, Ourselves (Phillips and Rakusen, 1996) fails to mention it, and the Spare Rib Reader on women’s health (Balsdon and Kaluzynsha,1987) dedicates just seven lines to the condition and its symptoms. Treatment of PCOS is largely aimed at reducing weight, restoring fertility and ameliorating hirsutism (Bruce-Jones et al., 1993). Women with PCOS may experience considerable stress related to their symptoms. In a study of hirsute women, 68 percent avoided a number of social situations (Lobo et al., 1985). Hirsutism may also breed a sense of shame or freakishness and fear of exposure (Money and Clopper, 1974). The authors report the primary concern of girls and women experiencing hirsutism is restoration of a female (i.e. hair-free) appearance. From a feminist perspective, the problem is