PCOS and fertility: everything you need to know
PCOS, short for the polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common condition related to hormones, in which the ovaries don’t always release an egg every month. It can lead to difficulty getting pregnant. What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)? PCOS, short for the polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common condition related to hormones in which the ovaries don’t always release an egg at the end of the menstrual cycle (the start of a period to the start of the next one). It can lead to difficulty getting pregnant. It is thought to be very common, affecting about 1 in every 5 women in the UK. If you have polycystic ovaries (PCO): · Your ovaries are slightly larger than normal · you have many more follicles (the fluid-filled pockets on the ovaries that release the eggs when you ovulate) Having polycystic ovaries does not mean that you have PCOS. PCO means your ova...