Is PCOS Rare? Can Marriage Cure It? Gynaecologist Busts Myths

"Get married and PCOD will be cured."

"Have you thought about how you won't be able to have kids – because, you know, PCOD"

Ask people with Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD) and they will tell you how they battle stereotypes and myths on an every day basis.

Did you know that at least one in 10 urban Indian women could be battling the syndrome? Or that irregular periods does not immediately mean PCOD?

FIT reached out to Dr Anjali Kumar, who is a practicing gynaecologist and obstetrician now for more than 30 years to break some of these common myths.

MYTH 1: PCOD is a Rare Condition

"Is my daughter suffering from a rare condition. I never had PCOD and nobody else in my family had PCOD. So how come my daughter has PCOD. Is it something rare?"

Dr Kumar explains that the condition, a result of changing lifestyle patterns, may not have been very common a decade ago but today, it is almost like an epidemic.

"So, this is a problem that is becoming a epidemic in today's modern life. So much so that almost one in 10 women is actually suffering from PCOD," she said

MYTH 2: Irregular Periods = PCOD

Many people who menstruate assume that they have PCOD just because they have irregular periods. That is definitely not the case, says Dr Kumar.

"My advise here would be, in case you are suffering from irregular periods, you first need to go to a gynaecologist and let the gynaecologist assess what is the reason for irregular period," she added.

MYTH 3: Marriage Can Cure PCOD

Another common myth she gets to hear from people is, "shaadi karlo, PCOD teekh hojayega"

To these people, Dr Kumar usually says – "Lifestyle change Karlo, sab teekh hojayega."

"My advise here would be, in case you are suffering from irregular periods, you first need to go to a gynaecologist and let the gynaecologist assess what is the reason for irregular periods," says the doctor.

MYTH 4: People with PCOD Can't Have Kids

It is "absolutely untrue" that people with PCOD will not be able to have kids. Yes, there may be complications but calling it "impossible" is "baseless," she asserts.

According to the doctor, there are multiple treatment methods to address these concerns.

"There is trouble sometimes in conceiving a baby. But yes, these days, we have a lot of options available to take care of that problem. We have medicines, we have a proper ART which is known as Artificial Reproductive Technology which can help the women to conceive."

However, the one sure-shot way to better the condition is to make lifestyle changes, Dr Kumar stresses.