PCOS Made Me Feel Out of Control

For years, Ms Anna Haotanto had irregular or light periods and gained weight easily, but she thought this was common among women.

- Stephanie Yeo

After undergoing egg freezing at age 34, her period stopped for six months, which she found "weird". During that time, she gained 8kg in four months and struggled with hormonal acne, fatigue and brain fog.

"I brushed them off as stress-related or just 'normal' for women. But I felt like my body wasn't syncing with me over time," says the 40-year-old founder of femtech start-up Zora Health, a regional fertility, menopause and family health platform.

A medical check-up in 2019 revealed that she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age.

"Mentally, it was exhausting. I'm a high-functioning person, but PCOS made me feel out of control. It also made me question my goals. Could I have a family when I was ready? Would my body cooperate?" adds Ms Haotanto, who is in a relationship.

PCOS patient numbers have remained stable at the National University Hospital (NUH) and the dedicated PCOS clinic at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

About 15 per cent of women globally live with PCOS, making it one of the most common endocrine diseases in women of reproductive age, says Professor Yong Eu Leong, head and emeritus consultant from the Division of Benign Gynaecology in NUH's Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

In the United States and European countries, PCOS is reported to affect between 6 and 20 per cent of women, depending on the diagnosis criteria used, says Dr Veronique Viardot-Foucault, a director and senior consultant in clinical endocrinology at KKH's Department of Reproductive Medicine.

British fashion designer Victoria Beckham, British actresses Emma Thompson and Daisy Ridley, and American singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha are among the celebrities who have spoken out about living with PCOS.

In Singapore, influencers Mongchin Yeoh, Sahur Saleim and Preeti Nair, as well as fashion entrepreneur Velda Tan, have revealed their PCOS diagnoses on social media.