Is Social Media Helping More Women Get a PCOS Diagnosis?

When 29-year-old Jamie Fortin was diagnosed with the hormonal disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—recently renamed polycystic metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)—five years ago, she wasn’t shocked. Between her chronic pain symptoms and the conversations swirling in her circles, Fortin, who owns the Alexandria romance bookstore Friends to Lovers, figured she was dealing with one of two women’s health issues: either the uterine condition endometriosis or PCOS, a hormonal imbalance that leads to an overproduction of androgens (male hormones such as testosterone) and, often, insulin resistance. Symptoms include irregular periods; increased facial hair and acne; and weight gain. It can also cause infertility.

“The public conversation has gotten a lot louder about PCOS, and I think that’s why it didn’t feel as scary or unknown,” Fortin says. “I could tell a group of five women and one of them will be like, ‘Oh, I have that symptom, this is how you solve it,’ or ‘Oh, my cousin does this for that.’ ”

It’s not just Fortin’s friend group. Women are posting about their diagnoses on Instagram and TikTok, highlighting diets, exercise regimens, and skincare routines that have helped their symptoms. On Reddit, users are building support communities and pleading for physicians to take the condition seriously—a common complaint with women’s health issues such as PCOS, which is frequently undiagnosed.

Is the disorder just the latest health obsession online, or is the growing talk a sign of increased occurrence?

The public conversation has gotten a lot louder about PCOS, and I think that’s why it didn’t feel as scary or unknown.

“It’s actually very common,” says Dr. Marsha Solomon. The Capitol Hill ob-gyn points to data from the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists that says 13 percent of women of reproductive age suffer from PCOS, making it the most common endocrine disorder among women of that age group. Despite the recent spotlight on it, Solomon emphasizes that PCOS is not new: “Medical descriptions of symptoms that we now recognize as PCOS date back to ancient history, and modern medicine has been studying it for more than 150 years.”

Solomon has seen an uptick in patients looking to discuss symptoms, and her practice has done more evaluations. “However, I think this reflects the growing awareness and clear diagnostic guidance rather than a sudden change in how common the condition is,” she says.

DC ob-gyn Tamika Auguste agrees: “We, as physicians and gynecologists, are talking about PCOS more because more women are asking about it, which is great.” The way Auguste sees it, the spike in PCOS commentary is a reflection of the growing interest in women’s health issues as a whole, from Black maternal mortality to endometriosis. “It’s the messaging of ‘Speak up and out—have your voice.’ ”

Largely, we have social media—and the support communities it helps foster—to thank for that. (Of course, online discussion can also be rife with misinformation.) “Research has shown that PCOS-related videos on TikTok averaged 1.8 million views, with tens of thousands of comments and saves,” Solomon says, “which indicates there’s a large-scale discussion going on and lots of information-sharing. People are turning to social platforms and peer groups to share their experiences and to fill some of the gaps they think exist in clinical care.”

Auguste describes a pattern of women learning about the condition on social media, doing their own research, and then bringing it up with their gynecologist: “I think there are a lot more women who think they have it but actually don’t, but it opens up a conversation around it. I love having the conversation because even if it’s not PCOS, well, let’s talk about the symptoms you are having. Then we’ll figure it out together.”

Factors beyond social media are also contributing to more questions in the doctor’s office. According to George Washington University ob-gyn Arielle Effron, while we don’t know what causes PCOS, there’s a strong connection between the condition and insulin. GLP-1s such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound are used to treat insulin resistance, and their proliferation has opened the door to discussions about PCOS and the ways semaglutides could play a role in treatment. (Currently, prescribing semaglutides for PCOS is off-label as clinical trials continue.)

Candice Anderson, a 31-year-old College Park resident, credits social media for the diagnosis she received in her mid-twenties. “I wasn’t really having many conversations about PCOS prior to TikTok,” says Anderson. “Over the past few years, I started seeing so many people post their stories and share information I had never heard before.” She started talking about her own experiences last year under @itscandicelarissa, posting videos about maneuvering the holidays with PCOS and her painful periods. This spring, she started a local walking club for women with the condition, hoping to extend to the physical world the support she found online.

“It is comforting to hear how other women navigate their symptoms through social media,” Anderson says. “I’ve gotten more comfort from the comments on a video or direct messages than I ever have from a medical professional.”

PCOS in Media

PCOS isn’t just being talked about online–it’s also finding a place in books, shows, and pop culture

Books

Recent romance novels feature heroines with the hormonal disorder. In One Last Thing Before You Go by Caroline Frank, protagonist Lottie Veracruz deals with a PCOS and endometriosis diagnosis that affects her budding connection. Another book, Amanda Sinatra’s Cloud Nine, follows the sparks between a photographer with PCOS and a snowboarder.

Television

The Netflix show Ginny & Georgia has a character, high-schooler Norah, who laments her irregular cycle in season three. The storyline has already generated conversation among fans about a potential PCOS or endometriosis diagnosis in the upcoming season, which just finished filming.

Celebrities

Actress Keke Palmer has discussed her symptoms–from facial hair to acne–on talk shows and Instagram. Trainer Jillian Michaels shared that she’s had multiple painful cysts burst since she was diagnosed at age 15. Other celebs divulging struggles with PCOS include former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and singer Bebe Rexha.

Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists

These physicians, named by their peers as the area’s best obstetricians and gynecologists in our November 2025 Top Doctors list, specialize in pregnancy and labor as well as diseases of the female genital tract and reproductive organs