'I bin try so many tins to get belle sake of PCOS'

TV host, actress and producer Stephanie Coker Aderinokun don narrate her journey into motherhood as a woman wey dey live wit Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

She explain say di delayed pregnancy for her marriage dey "traumatizing" as she bin try so many tins to get belle but she dey see "negative pregnancy test" for inside bathroom .

“Ahh as married woman, e bin hard becos...for me, I bin try so many tins to get pregnant. And... wen you go into di bathroom and you see a negative pregnancy test...e dey veri veri traumatizing," she tok.

Di 36-year-old producer of ''Where The Heck is My Period?" tell BBC pidgin say she bin dey diagnosed of PCOS at di age of 17 and living wit di condition wey no get cure na "one of di hardest tins."

Stephanie tok say PCOS get many symptoms but di one wey stand out for her na excessive hair growth wey pipo sabi as hairsutim.

“PCOS get many symptoms, and for me, di one wey stand out di most or affect me di most na di excessive hair growth wey we sabi as hirsutism, di lack of period, hormonal acne,” she tok.

She also tok say adult acne na one of di most "annoying" symptoms becos pipo go dey try help you wit treatment but na becos of hormonal imbalance.

"Acne in your adult age na one of di most annoying tins becos dem dey always try to...I no tink say dem dey try help you but dem dey point am out 'Oh maybe you fit use dis...you fit use dat.' I don use evritin and I know say no be about wetin I dey use per se, na more about di intake and di fact say my hormones dey off balance."

She tok about di societal pressure women dey experience on childbirth as pipo begin question why she wan do IVF to conceive her pikin.

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“For me, wen I come out to say I wan do IVF becos of my PCOS condition, some pipo dey like 'Oh, why you go do PCOS at such young age?' Well..I mean no be by choice," Stephanie tok.

Di TV host tok say she dey manage di condition as her symptoms neva go away.

"PCOS na somtin you go just dey manage and dem tok say e no get cure or maybe di symptoms fit just go away, I honestly don’t know. But for me, di symptoms neva go away unfortunately."

Where the Heck is My Period?

Stephanie na di producer of one documentary about PCOS, Where the Heck is My Period?

She say afta Covid-19, she begin document di stories of oda women wey dey experience PCOS.

According to Stephanie, di documentary don encourage pipo make dem tok about di condition.

"I tink e dey important to allow pipo to tok, to allow pipo share wetin dey really go on wit dem. PCOS no go stop wit dis generation, e go still dey happun. E fit get baby wey dem go born now wey go probably get PCOS," Stephanie tok.

Wetin be PCOS?

According to di World Health Organisation, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) na common hormonal condition wey dey affect women of reproductive age. E dey usually start during adolescence, but symptoms fit fluctuate ova time.

PCOS fit cause hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, excess androgen levels and cysts for di ovaries. Irregular periods, usually with lack of ovulation, fit make am difficult to get belle. PCOS na leading cause of infertility.

PCOS na chronic condition and e no get cure. However, some symptoms fit dey improved through lifestyle changes, medications and fertility treatments.

Di cause of PCOS dey unknown but women wit family history or type 2 diabetes dey at higher risk.

Symptoms

Symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome fit dey different from pesin to pesin. Symptoms fit change ova time and often happun witout a clear trigger.

Possible symptoms include:

heavy, long, irregular, unpredictable or absent periods

infertility

acne or oily skin

excessive hair for face or bodi

male-pattern baldness or hair thinning

weight gain, especially around di belly.

Pipo wit PCOS dey more likely to get oda health conditions including:

type 2 diabetes

hypertension (high blood pressure)

high cholesterol

heart disease

endometrial cancer (cancer of di inner lining of di uterus).

PCOS fit also cause anxiety, depression and a negative bodi image. Some symptoms such as infertility, obesity and unwanted hair growth fit lead to social stigma. Dis fit affect oda life areas such as family, relationships, work and involvement in di community.

Treatment

Cure no dey for PCOS, but treatments fit improve symptoms.

Make pipo wey get irregular periods, trouble getting pregnant or excessive acne and hair growth speak to a healthcare professional.

Some symptoms of PCOS fit dey reduced through lifestyle changes. Eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise fit help reduce weight and reduce di risk of type 2 diabetes.

Birth control medicines (contraceptive pill) fit help regulate di menstrual cycle and reduce symptoms. Other medicines fit reduce acne or unwanted hair growth wey PCOS cause.

Treatments for infertility sake of PCOS include lifestyle changes, medicines or surgery to stimulate regular ovulation. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) fit dey used but e get some risks.