Sexual orientation aside, it's the rare woman who has not had her menstrual period show up at the absolute worst possible time. That's what happened to me during an Alaska cruise last June. I looked down at my beautiful white slacks and-you guessed it-they had become red-patterned slacks.
How annoying! Even more annoying was the fact that my period didn't stop in two or three days as usual. The flow kept going all through that week. And the next week after I returned home. And the week after that. Finally, I called my doctor who suggested birth control pills. Just what every lesbian wants! Nevertheless, I gave them a try, and they didn't help.
In the end, more than a month later, I ended up seeing a gynecologist and having a D&C. Problem solved, or so I thought. My gynecologist disagreed. She ran some more tests and finally diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. At the same time, she also informed me that I was a borderline diabetic (my body is resistant to insulin and can't handle sugar, my favorite food group).
I'd never heard of PCOS before and assumed my situation was unique. Then I hit the internet, and learned a thing or two. According to the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, approximately 6% to 10% of women have PCOS, although many, like me, don't realize it. PCOS has no single definitive symptom, but rather involves a cluster of symptoms including increased androgen in the system, failure to ovulate, obesity, insulin resistance, etc. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility among women. Left untreated, it may result in a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and endometrial cancer.
I dug a little deeper, and learned that lesbians are more likely to develop PCOS than are heterosexual women ( Polycystic Ovaries Twice As Common in Lesbians, Aphrodite Women's Health, July 3, 2003). Although implying that the hyperandrogenism seen in many women with PCOS could contribute to a woman's sexual orientation, lead researcher Dr. Rina Agrawal flatly denied that she was seeking a cure for lesbianism. "We do not view lesbianism as a disease that is in need of a cure," she stated. The only aspects of healthcare we offer these women are reproductive health and assisted reproduction."
