Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, long associated with adult women in their reproductive years, is now surfacing significantly earlier — frequently during adolescence — according to senior Bengaluru-based gynaecologist Dr Vidya V Bhat. Speaking from Bengaluru on September 1, Dr Bhat urged parents and caregivers to stop dismissing common teenage complaints such as irregular periods, persistent acne and sudden weight fluctuations as routine aspects of growing up. She noted that these symptoms are increasingly being identified as early markers of PCOS, a hormonal disorder that affects ovarian function and can have long-term metabolic and reproductive consequences if left unaddressed.
Dr Bhat's intervention comes amid a broader shift in clinical observation, where gynaecologists are encountering PCOS in patients well before the age of eighteen. The change, she explained, places a responsibility on parents to initiate open, informed conversations about menstrual health and hormonal wellbeing rather than waiting until daughters enter adulthood. According to her, the period of adolescence is not merely transitional but diagnostically critical — the signs that emerge during these years often determine whether PCOS is caught at a manageable stage or progresses into more complex complications involving insulin resistance, fertility difficulties and cardiovascular risk.
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For families unfamiliar with the condition, PCOS is a hormonal imbalance in which the ovaries produce elevated levels of androgens, frequently leading to irregular or absent ovulation, cyst formation, and a cluster of visible symptoms. While genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors are understood to contribute, the early onset observed in teenagers points to the need for greater parental awareness rather than reactive treatment after adulthood. Dr Bhat stressed that simple steps — attentive listening to bodily changes, timely paediatric or gynaecological consultation, and avoiding the cultural reflex to normalise menstrual irregularities — can materially alter the trajectory of the condition.
Her appeal adds a public-health dimension to a disorder that is often discussed only in private clinical settings. By framing PCOS as a conversation that should begin in the household during adolescence, Dr Bhat is calling for a cultural shift in how Indian families approach teenage reproductive health. The broader medical community, she suggested, must also equip general practitioners and school health programmes with better screening protocols so that early indicators are not overlooked during routine adolescent check-ups.
The remarks were carried by Newspatrolling.com as part of ongoing awareness efforts around women's health in India. While the source syndication did not release full transcript data, the core message — that early parental engagement is essential to identifying and managing PCOS — remains the central takeaway from Dr Bhat's advisory.
