What Meghana had was a condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Polycystic ovaries with all its problems have existed for ages in women. Then why do we want to talk about it today?

Infertility specialists Dr Sanjeev Khurd and Dr Sadhana Khurd who have written a booklet to create awareness about the subject say that there is a need to discuss polycystic ovaries because of the present lifestyle of youngsters, which includes consumption of saturated fats, no physical exercise and mental stress. The women with polycystic ovaries are more vulnerable to suffer from severe complications of this syndrome. Polycystic Ovaries represent a state of a woman whose health is likely to be affected in more than one ways, during the reproductive years of her life.

The problem is seen in both urban as well as amongst the women in rural areas and about 10 per cent of women in the age group of 15 to 45 years and 30 per cent of women facing the problem of infertility (difficulty in becoming pregnant) have polycystic ovaries.

"One can therefore imagine the magnitude and the social relevance of this problem in today's Indian context which has such a large percentage of young women in population of 1.1 billion," says Dr Sanjeev Khurd, a laparoscopy surgeon and infertility specialist.

"As an adolescent girl, if she faces a problem of menstrual irregularity (85 per cent), unwanted hair growth (70 percent), acne and obesity (65 per cent), all, which dent her self-esteem and confidence. After marriage 40 per cent of these women encounter difficulty in becoming pregnant and are faced with the problem of infertility, a problem, which has important social bearing especially in the Indian context," explains Dr Khurd.

"In case she becomes pregnant she has a higher chance of an abortion and diabetes complicating her pregnancy. As she moves on in her life she has more chances of falling prey to developing Diabetes, Hypertension and even cancer of the uterine lining (Endometrial Cancer)," he adds

What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common health problem that affects teenage girls and young women. Although no one really knows what causes PCOS, it seems to be related to an imbalance in a girl's hormones.

Both girls and guys produce sex hormones, but in different amounts. In girls, the ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, and also androgens. These hormones regulate a girl's menstrual cycle and ovulation. Even though androgens are sometimes referred to as male hormones, every female produces them. In girls with PCOS, the ovaries produce higher than normal amounts of androgens, and this can interfere with egg development and release. Some of the eggs develop into cysts, which are little sacs filled with liquid. Instead of being released during ovulation, as an egg is during a normal menstrual cycle, the cysts build up in the ovaries and may become enlarged. Because girls with PCOS are not ovulating or releasing an egg each month, it's common for them to have irregular or missed periods.

If PCOS is not treated properly, it can put a girl at risk for lots of problems. Girls with PCOS are more likely to have infertility, excessive hair growth, acne, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal bleeding from the uterus and cancer.