Cafe Scientifique: Unlipping PMOS - Glasgow Sauchiehall St

We’ve long known about the infamous ‘bearded ladies’, paraded at nineteenth & early twentieth centuries circuses as ‘curiosities’. However, the condition behind their suffering is still the focus of widespread social stigma and ignorance today. In fact, it was only in May this year that the medical world officially recognised the systemic nature of the disorder that affects 1 in 8 people with ovaries, totalling some 170 million women worldwide. The condition - formerly (and inaccurately) known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) - has now been officially renamed ‘Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome’ (PMOS). The new name finally recognises the lived experience of those affected, along with compelling advances in scientific knowledge: that PMOS affects the whole body, not just the ovaries. In fact, we’re only just beginning to understand the full extent of this debilitating hormonal and metabolic disorder with its complex array of symptoms, including excess facial or body hair, weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, irregular or absent periods, fertility challenges and mental health struggles. Meanwhile, those affected are often having their lives turned upside down by delayed diagnosis and the social, psychological and medical ramifications of the disorder.Anji Sandhu takes us through the changing understanding and impact of PMOS. She is the Founder & CEO of Empowered Earth, a company working at the intersection of technology, women’s health and social change. A passionate campaigner and educator, she’s spent the last decade challenging the medical, social and cultural ignorance and stigma around PMOS through innovations such as PMOS Buddy – her digital health platform to help users better understand and manage symptoms - and campaigns such as Unlipping PMOS and the PMOS Workplace Pledge.For more information please see www.unlippingpmos.com and empowered earth.com