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If you’ve heard of PCOS, it may be thanks to one of the celebrities or public figures who have opened up about their experience living with the condition.
The value of that can’t be underestimated: I remember a decade ago, I was in a room with a group of women when one person mentioned PCOS — and hardly anyone had ever heard of the condition. Today, PCOS doesn’t have the same type of name recognition as many other conditions, but awareness of the condition has certainly come a long way.
It’s about more than just making people aware that PCOS exists, though: When people talk openly about PCOS, how it can present and affect a person’s life, and what the symptoms look like, people may recognize those symptoms in their own bodies. This can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment. And since PCOS is one of those conditions that can be managed through lifestyle interventions as well as medical interventions, having people openly discuss the nutritional or lifestyle choices that work for them can help others pinpoint things that work for their bodies as well.
Celebrities with PCOS
Celebrities have so much influence over the way we think about women’s health, and these stars have all been open about their experiences with PCOS — which in turn has driven so much awareness of the condition, and given people the ability to advocate for themselves if they suspect they may be living with PCOS as well.
Sasha Pieterse
The Pretty Little Liars actress has been open about living with PCOS while also living in the public eye — she’s also shared that her case became dormant after she gave birth to her son.
"I never had a regular period ever and I was just always told by gynecologists that I was just young. Like, ‘Don't worry, it'll regulate,' ” Pieterse shared during an appearance on The Squeeze podcast. “When I turned, it was probably around 15-16, that I started noticing a difference in just my metabolism in general. At 17, I gained 70 lbs. in the year, for no reason. There was no explanation for it. It was the most frustrating experience and disheartening because no matter what I did, no matter how well I behaved, no matter how great I treated my body, things were actually getting worse rather than better, it was very very confusing.”
Lea Michele
Like many people with PCOS, the Broadway star lived with symptoms of the condition and didn’t fully make sense of their root cause for years. She spoke out about being diagnosed with PCOS shortly before turning 30.
“The side effects can be brutal—like weight gain and bad skin,” Michele told Health. “Growing up, I had terrible skin. I went on Accutane three times. I was put on every medication that you could imagine to help my skin.”
Eventually, she discovered the root of the issues. “I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, ‘Oh, you have PCOS.’ It explained everything,” Michele said. “Through diet, I have been able to manage it. But I am very fortunate. There are way more extreme versions of PCOS that women have a lot of difficulty with—mine is not as intense.”
Victoria Beckham
According to Cosmopolitan, Victoria Beckham spoke up about facing constant pregnancy speculation during an interview with Now magazine.
"Every time I go out, someone says to me 'Are you pregnant,' and at first I tried to dodge these questions with a vague response and a smile, but now, I have resorted to overt, brutal honesty," she said. "I keep that big smile and say something like, 'Actually, I’m struggling with infertility because of my PCOS, so my husband and I have been through several fertility treatments. No baby yet, but it’ll happen soon!' "
Mic drop. A round of applause for that perfect (and perfectly honest) reply, please.
Keke Palmer
In 2020, Keke Palmer shared an Instagram post about her PCOS symptoms, which she said were “attacking [her] from the inside out”. In the post, Palmer also opened up about her struggle to be taken seriously when advocating for a diagnosis (an experience that’s so common for people with PCOS).
“And unfortunately doctors are people and if you don’t ‘look the part’ they may not think that’s your problem,” Palmer wrote. “They may not even suggest it if you ‘look healthy’ whatever that means! I came to a doctor in tears once and all they offered was a measles vaccine... Exactly.”
When Palmer revealed her pregnancy in 2022, fans celebrated the exciting news by shedding light on the fact that PCOS can complicate conception.
As a woman with PCOS seeing Keke Palmer pregnant and also having PCOS is truly amazing. The first thing you think about after your diagnosis is “Will I ever have kids?”,” a fan tweeted.
Nikki Garcia
In an interview with Health, Nikki Garcia (formerly known as Nikki Bella) and her twin sister, Brie, spoke up about fertility struggles, with Garcia revealing her PCOS diagnosis, according to PEOPLE.
“I also found out I have PCOS — it kills your fertility,” Garcia said. “I’m getting brown spots all over my face, acne, weight fluctuations and hair loss…I actually just found out and was devastated. You research it, and there is no cure. I just pray I have some fertile eggs left and that I can still be a mom. So, yes, I do feel like being a mom is in my future. I am just not sure how soon.”
Despite her worries, Garcia did get pregnant with her son, Matteo, which came as a “huge surprise”.
Jaime King
The actress went through nine doctors before securing a PCOS diagnosis — all while attempting to make sense of the enormous pain she weathered.
"What I was taught is, if you're a woman and you menstruate, it's painful and it sucks and you just deal with it," the actress told E! News. "Like, cramps, headaches, throwing up, this and that, it's just sort of par for the course…I just assumed that's how s--tty it was—that three weeks out of every month, I'm going to be really sick and not know what's going on with me and have a hard time sitting, standing, walking, moving, just functioning throughout my life."
King was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS. When she finally received her diagnosis, King also heard something life-changing from the physician who realized she had PCOS: "He was the first doctor that's ever said to me, 'Women are not supposed to be in pain,'" she said. "I finally felt seen for the first time."
Kailyn Lowry
Kailyn Lowry was surprised to learn she has PCOS — especially since PCOS can affect fertility, and Lowry has given birth to multiple children. When Lowry asked her doctor if her PCOS could have appeared after she gave birth, the physician explained that the condition can present in different ways, according to Us Weekly. For Lowry, one symptom was “super, super heavy periods”.
Lowry called the diagnosis “overwhelming”. “The medication has insane side effects, and I’m just trying to figure out the best ways to manage the symptoms because the diagnosis came just as fast as the symptoms came. So, it’s just kind of all new and overwhelming. But we’re gonna figure out a way to manage it, and we’ll work it out. It’ll be fine,” she said.
Gracie McGraw
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s daughter, Gracie, shared her PCOS diagnosis in an Instagram post. “I just wanted to share really quick that I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome),” she said. “To get the correct diagnosis you would need 2 out of the 5 characteristics of PCOS and I had 4. During my appointment with my endocrinologist, I realized that may have been a factor in my issues with weight, so we decided to try a medicine to regulate my body more normally and create the tools to continue to keep my body and myself healthy as I get older.”
Recently, McGraw came clean about using Ozempic and Mounjaro to help manage the symptoms of PCOS. “I did use Ozempic last year, yes. I am now on a low dose of Mounjaro for my PCOS as well as working out. No need to accuse when I have been open about it,” McGraw said.
Bebe Rexha
During an appearance on Jennifer Hudson’s talk show, Bebe Rexha discussed commentary about her changing body (side note: It’s 2023, can we please, please stop talking about people’s bodies already?).
"You don't know what somebody's going through, what they're going through in their life, so it kind of is tough. But I feel like we're in 2023 ... we should not be talking about people's weight," Rexha said. "I went to the doctor last year — and a lot of women actually have this and they don't know about it — but they diagnosed [me] with PCOS, which is polycystic ovary syndrome. It's one of the leading causes of why women gain weight and are obese. I literally jumped, like, 30 lbs. so quickly, maybe a little bit more. But we gotta just be positive and just show people love."
Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and mom of twins. She's written for outlets like Parents, Marie-Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Motherly, and many others. In her (admittedly limited!) free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family.