#Pregnant with Ovarian Cysts

[ferticity]

Getting pregnant with ovarian cysts is possible, although it may present challenges. The impact on fertility depends on the cysts' type, size, and location.

[murderballadeer]

my period is almost a week late this can’t be good

[dracolizardlars]

Had the realisation that despite my hatred and fear of medical procedures, specifically the concept of major surgery being horrifying to me (something I have put a lot of thought into due to contemplating whether I want top surgery), if someone offered me a full hysterectomy tomorrow I would take it in a fucking heartbeat. That's how bad my hatred / dysphoria around menstruation and the possibility of pregnancy is. I want that entire organ system gone so much that it overrides my fear of surgery.

[dubaiblogs]

This article will help clarify the relationship of ovarian cysts with pregnancy, the symptoms during pregnancy, and possible risks, including if a cyst can cause a miscarriage. Read More! Can I get pregnant with ovarian cyst?

[eileennatural]

girls who stopped taking their birth control bc they're literally too dumb to remember now experiencing the consequences

[candiiee]

Hi! How are you doing ☺️?

Can I request Bakugo and Iida with a female s/o who gets ovarian cysts?

Thank you have a good day 💜

This is an interesting request- I’ll try my best though :))

Not exactly sure if you wanted separate one shots for both of them, or something else, so I’ll just do 2 one shots for both of ‘em.

Warnings: just swearing in Bakugo’s

——————————

ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴀɪɴꜰᴜʟ (Katsuki Bakugo x female! Reader)

Katsuki headed for your dorm room, in a foul mood. He had got into a fight with some extra who talked shit about him, so he had gotten detention. He opened your door without even knocking, not even caring if you were changing or something. A quick glance around the room, and he saw you on the bed, curled and grumbling in pain.

He frowned, making his way over, worry ever so slightly evident in his eyes. “Y/N. You okay? Or is it just period pain?” You snorted, adjusting yourself to face him. “No. It’s an ovarian cyst.” He slightly flushed, not expecting that answer.

“A what?” You grumbled, “Basically a cyst in my ovaries. Usually ignorable, but hurts like shit every now and then.” You groaned, slamming your pillow on your face. He paused, “Oh. Does it go away? The cyst, I mean.”

You nodded, “Yeah. But I hate it so much.” He paused, “Anything I can do to make it better?”

“Nah. But I’d be happy to accept some cuddles.” He scoffed, but climbed into bed with you. “Mm, fine. If it’ll make you feel better.” You hummed, him the big spoon as you cuddled. Katsuki had originally been hoping for some reassurance from you, but the turns had tabled. He wasn’t gonna argue though.

—————————

ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴀɪɴꜰᴜʟ (Tenya Iida x female! Reader)

Tenya headed for your dorm room, homework in hand. You hadn’t been in class today, and as the class rep and your boyfriend, it was his responsibility to make sure you were kept up to speed. He knocked on the door, making sure you knew it was him. It wouldn’t be very plus ultra of him to walk in on you changing or doing anything not for his eyes.

After hearing your voice allow him access, he opened the door, covering his eyes for extra security. You were in your bed, smiling as he covered his eyes. “I’m decent, Iida.” He slowly uncovered his eyes. “Good. I have your homework.”

He paused, concern in his eyes. “May I ask why you are in bed, and in obvious pain?” You nodded, “Ovarian cysts.” He paused, putting your homework on the side table. “I see. Anything I can do in order to make you feel better?” You shifted in your bed. “Cuddles.” He went red. He had cuddled with you before, but not in your bed. “Cuddles.. are you sure? It is most inappropriate to cuddle in your bed.”

You giggled, “Calm down. I’m not gonna get pregnant cuddling in bed or anything. Come on.” He paused, then hesitatingly approached, climbing into bed. You wrapped your arms around him, as you could tell he was nervous. Finally he relaxed, and cuddled with you.

———————

Done! Sorry it took so long 😅

I’m currently on vacation.

[yrfemmehusband]

Female reproductive health terms you should know!

(terfs not welcome)

Dysmenorrhea: Period pain that isn't normal, i.e. any pain more than Mild cramping.

Dyspareunia: painful intercourse

Oligomenorrhea: lighter, shorter menstrual flow.

Menorrhagia: heavier, longer menstrual flow.

Ovarian cysts: a mass on or in one's ovary, can be resolved on its own, or can remain and cause complications such as a rupture.

Polycystic ovary syndrome: a chronic condition causing cysts to reoccur on the ovaries and enlarging them. Symptoms include:

Irregular periods

hormonal imbalance

facial hair

weight gain

painful periods/ ovulation

infertility

People with PCOS are at higher risk for endometrial cancer, type II diabetes heart problems and high blood pressure.

Endometriosis: A chronic condition in which a tissue similar to, but different than, the endometrial lining grows outside of the uterus instead of inside. During menstruation this tissue sheds and has nowhere to go, thus irritating surrounding organs.

Symptoms include:

Irregular periods

Dysmenorrhea

Widespread pain

Painful ovulation

Vomiting, fainting, chills, sweating, fever and brain fog during menstruation

Infertility

Severe bloating

This also puts people at a higher risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer. There are four stages to Endo as it is a progressive disease, with 3/4 being more severe. The average time it takes to be diagnosed is 7 years.

Adenomyosis: A chronic disease similar and comorbid to endometriosis in which a tissue similar to the endometrial lining grows inside of the uterine wall. Symptoms are nearly identical to endometriosis but more difficult to detect.

Many people are diagnosed post menopause, by fault of the medical system, but it can and does develop much before then.

Ovarian cancer: cancer of the ovary(ies).

Endometrial cancer: cancer of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus.

Endometrial cyst, or chocolate cyst: cystic lesions from endometriosis.

Tilted uterus: the uterus is positioned pointing towards the back or severely to the front of the pelvis instead of a slight tilt towards at the cervix. Can cause painful sex and periods.

Pelvic floor dysfunction: inability to control your pelvic muscles. Comorbid with many things and is highly comorbid with endometriosis. Can cause pain and incontinence.

Vulvodynia: chronic and unexplained pain at the opening of the vagina.

Interstitial cystitis: a chronic condition where cysts form on the inside of the bladder and urinary tract and cause symptoms similar to that of a UTI.

Pre-eclampsia: a condition occurring in pregnancy where the blood supply between the fetus and the pregnant person is affected and can cause irregular blood pressure, swelling, and in more severe cases headache, nausea and vomiting, a burning sensation behind the sternum, shortness of breath and potentially death if untreated.

Endometritis: an infection or irritation of the uterine lining. Is not the same as endometriosis and is treatable but can cause pain, bleeding, swelling, general discomfort and fever, and more.

Pelvic inflammatory disease: an infection of the reproductive organs

Ectopic pregnancy: a pregnancy that is attached to the outside of the uterus. Can be fatal if left untreated.

There are many more I could probably add but if you see something missing, please add it!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

by Lydia Wilkins

“Come back to me when you start wanting children,” my gynecologist said. I had asked about the implications on fertility, thanks to my Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis — and was dismissed once again. It enveloped me with such despair.

For over two years I was shunted between varying medical offices, from primary care to an STI clinic. Among many disabling symptoms, I was experiencing hair loss and excessive hair growth along my jawline since my SARS-C0V-2 infection. After developing Long COVID in March 2022, doctors considered me a “medical curiosity” and tested me endlessly, leading to wrong diagnosis after wrong diagnosis. I was prescribed medication after medication, but nothing seemed to help.

Eventually, I added another diagnosis to my chart when I was diagnosed with PCOS by a gynecologist. The hormonal condition is lifelong, presenting with symptoms such as excessive hair, hair loss, fatigue, and irregular periods. The World Health Organization recognizes PCOS as a leading cause of infertility; you are also at risk of other conditions such as diabetes. The gynecologist additionally said there was a possibility that I have endometriosis, in which tissue from the uterus grows in places where it should not be. Endometriosis is recognized for extreme levels of life-impacting pain and is also associated with infertility.

The impact of Long COVID on sexual health is still not fully known, but there are serious signs of sexual and reproductive health being impacted. To be a disabled woman who has to advocate for herself, with the research, in the face of medical indifference is beyond exhausting. At every stage, I have correctly diagnosed myself, while specialists would play “catch-up.”

Why are medical experts and public health officials not sounding the alarm, to warn the public about the impact of Long COVID on fertility?

Like COVID-19 which leaves inflammation in its wake, PCOS is also thought to be an inflammation-related condition. PCOS is primarily a hormonal condition that impacts an estimated one in ten women and may put you at higher risk of severe COVID-19, according to research. PCOS can also make it more difficult to get pregnant, or, like endometriosis, increase complications during pregnancy.

I still have so many questions, such as if there is anything I could do now to mitigate the chronic nature of PCOS. Yet, doctors continually fob off these questions, shrouding me in a patronizing expectation of “having to wait until you start having children,” as if once I am interested in children, I will gain admission to an elite secret club of better care.

The UK campaigning group Long COVID Kids has documented the wider impact of Long COVID on reproductive health — such as changes to menstruation and triggering menopause. The same post also points to a study of the negative impact on ovarian function, along with other triggered conditions such as ovarian cysts.

A Patient-Led Research Collaborative review also found that women with Long Covid had increased rates of reproductive health issues — including, but not limited to, endometriosis, infertility, ovarian cysts, and other conditions. The review also mentioned another condition I am waiting to be tested for, after two years of misdiagnosis — POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). Why are these conditions not considered in tandem with each other, to save time and needless testing that causes nothing but distress?

We also know that COVID-19 tends to disrupt menstruation, as well as “fertility potential.” COVID-19 impacts male fertility, too, reducing sperm counts even after mild infections and causing erectile dysfunction. Some people with Long COVID are opting out of having children altogether, because of the strain of delivery and childbearing to the body, or because of the inability to raise or financially support a child.

Before catching COVID-19, I was bouncy, energetic, and socially confident. I had never had any notable health issues; now, my hair falls out in clumps, enough that my hairdresser has adapted to hide the thinning hairline. Excessive hair growth dominates my jawline and eyebrows. There’s also acne, dark spots of skin, and tense bloating warranting “she’s pregnant!” commentary from friends, family, and colleagues. There are few resources on how to cope with such an overwhelming diagnosis and aftermath.

I have been disabled from birth — but attempting to access reproductive healthcare with Long COVID has been a rough learning experience. Thanks to a litany of traumatic experiences when seeking relief from Long COVID, I am now obliged to take a chaperone with me to all medical appointments. Medical professionals speak to my chaperone as if they are the patient — “what can I do to help?”

We are told we have to trust medical professionals — but that trust is a privilege not afforded to disabled people in healthcare settings.

I, in turn, am the “sweetheart” spoken at with “the voice.” Disabled people everywhere know it — slow and childlike, patronizing and loud. I am not afforded dignity or privacy as a result. Other professionals have asked for free disability education instead of discussing my symptoms; it’s an inappropriate presumption, as well as beyond bitterly distressing.

My care was also marked by desexualization, or being reduced to the presumed state of a child. Doctors assumed, “she’s disabled — so she won’t be interested in any of that,” as Lucy Webster documented in her book, The View From Down Here.

Disabled women learn to suppress our anger to achieve any kind of diagnostic result, never “speaking to” the weighted horror. We have dreams, too — but they are tempered by societal commentary, both inside and outside a medical setting. I used to dream of an ordinary life, maybe a life of growing old with a partner, a house, a family in some way. Now, I realize it would be a privilege to not be questioned about these wants or to not be subject to constant commentary.

Women have long been advocating for better reproductive healthcare in the Western world; PCOS has long been misunderstood, with treatment often merely consisting of being told, “just lose weight.” A lack of curiosity has written off reproductive healthcare as only “a woman’s issue” for far too long.

More research on the emerging connection between reproductive health and Long COVID is needed, as is a deliberate culture shift in any caring profession. That can only start with education aimed at ending ingrained stigma. Health is a collective concept — and if we forget that, the pandemic has taught us nothing.

[alex51324]

A sensitive topic, but useful information

If you have a uterus, etc., and are dysphoric enough about it that you don't go to the gyno, here's a thing I learned this week that may come in handy one day, if you start having pain or other symptoms from that department:

There's a way you can at least get started on having all those organs checked out, without taking your pants off.

It's called a transabdominal pelvic ultrasound--you lay down, fully clothed, and just pull up your shirt as far as your ribcage, and undo your fly and push your trousers/underwear down to your hipbones. (And if you still feel too exposed, you can get a drape for the parts of your abdomen they aren't working on at any given moment.)

The technician goes over you with the little wand-thing (like you see on TV when pregnant people are getting a scan of the fetus); it takes a while, but it doesn't feel like much of anything.

Note: It's common, if you possess the relevant anatomy, for them to do what's called a transvaginal pelvic ultrasound along with the transabdominal one--that does indeed involve taking your pants off (and worse). It gives a better view of the ovaries, apparently, and it can be more convenient for them to go ahead and do that at the same appointment. But both my doctor and the technician who did the test were completely understanding and familiar with the concept that someone might not be up for that. All I had to do was hint to my doctor that I wasn't comfortable with the internal, and she said that was fine, we'd just do the transabdominal scan, and if that didn't provide enough information we'd talk about options based on whatever the findings were.

(The person at the central scheduling hotline, on the other hand, was kind of confused and kept trying to schedule me for the other thing, but honestly, I got the impression she was either very new to the job or just not the sharpest crayon in the box, bless her heart. Once I got in the room with the technician, she immediately grasped the situation and everything was fine.)

So it was all very easy and nontraumatic, and I probably should have had it done ages ago*. If you possess those organs, and are having pain or other symptoms in them that you've been hesitating to bring up** to a doctor because you're not comfortable having an internal exam, there are options available--hopefully your doctor will suggest it right off the bat, like mine did, but if not you can ask for it by name: transabdominal pelvic ultrasound.

(*I've got ovarian cysts, which is common and usually not a big deal, but if I'm reading the report correctly, mine are really quite surprisingly large. I haven't actually talked to the doctor about the results yet; with the holiday weekend it'll probably be Tuesday before I hear back.)

(**I didn't bring up the subject; the doctor felt something when she was palpating my abdomen during a routine physical, because of how fucking huge this cyst is. I should have brought it up.)

[morcellement]

Trigger warning: rare medical conditions/complications (OB/Gyn)

When I started to work after graduation I did 9 months of surgery. After that I started OB/Gyn. In both professions people where joking about the ‚rule of three‘. If there is a case of acute appendicitis there will be two more cases soon. And after that weeks without a case. Same with ectopic pregnancies, emergency cesarean sections, big ovarian cysts and other stuff. Even if it’s mostly an inside joke, there is a grain of truth (at least it feels like it). And working in private medical practice I feel like it in that setting happens too. The cases of people wanting an abortion, vaginal infections or women with irregular cycles seem to accumulate at certain times.

But I feel like I‘m experiencing the next level…

Last year we had lots of pregnancies of women in their 40ies (most of them unplanned; oldest one was 49 when she gave birth). And this year I feel like the theme is ‚once in a lifetime occurrences‘. This far I already saw:

- a case of Utrosct (a very rare, sometimes malignant tumor of the uterus) - had to ask AI about that and it stated that there where 511 cases worldwide up till November 2023.

- a a case of granulosa cell tumor of the ovaries - 1-2% of all malignant ovarian tumors (which are not that common themselves)

- a 30 year old women with breast cancer - less then 1% of all women with breastcancer are that young when diagnosed

- a women that got pregnant from a man who had an vasectomy years ago. The urologist confirmed that the ducts rejoined - 0,03-1,2% chance

- a pregnancy that implanted in the scar of the cesarean section - 0,05% of all pregnancies

- a fetus that developed a big cyst in the abdomen in just 2 weeks time - 0,1% of fetuses have such a condition

The last two cases where yesterday and today. I‘m very worried about both. Hope tomorrow (last day before my two week break) won’t hold such crazy stuff!

[jessilynallendilla]

The Most Popular Girls in School Quotes Without Context Season 1

“I want to poop here. Whenever I want, for as long as I want.” 

“I’ll be watching you.” “I’m going to poop now.” 

“Have fun smelling my poops, bitches!” 

“Was it slutty of me to give you a hand job last night?"

“Hey, if I watch an episode of Glee and an episode of Gossip Girl, can I get a blow job instead?” 

“God, I want to fucking murder you.” 

“What the fuck is a growler?”  

“Well then, I’ll gladly tell all the student bodies of Wichita State, Kansas and San Diego State, that you eat dick burritos.” 

“Suck my dick!” “Ok.” “What!?-” “Drop trou, I’ll suck your dick right now!” “Dude, that was an expression! Right? Am I right? That’s an expression, right guys?” 

“I’ll suck all your dicks right now!” 

“I’m a real man! I’m not afraid!” 

“Yeah, he’s definitely gay.” “He’s gay.” “We had an assembly about it.” 

“One last question...how come Matthew Daringer doesn’t have a penis or testicles?” 

“Jesus Christ, is that a fucking Gremlin?” “No, I’m a third grader.” 

“Rea-really? We talked, you pooped, I thought we had a connection.” 

“Wait, wait a minute, you lost control of the girl’s bathrooms?! Where the fuck am I supposed to shit now?” “Oh, you can go to the Jack in the Box across the street.” 

“We’ll I’m twenty-seven and still living with my parents in Overland Park. I have an art history degree from night school. My cat just died. I’ve lost 25% control of my sphincter muscles. I get a clicking sound in my jaw when I eat. I drive a ‘91 Dodge Neon. I have ovarian cysts. Sometimes I pee the bed still. I have alopecia. The only man who wants to fuck me is my 48-year-old manager at Pizza Street. PS, he only has one ball. So, I guess, better than you.”  

“No! Girls! On HBO! Kind of like Gossip Girl, but more tits.” 

“She said this is easier, you know, she said she just gets really emotional when she’s pregnant. And drunk.” 

“My mom said it’s about time people start feeling sorry for me.” 

“I won your card fair and square, so hand it ower before I bitch swap the bwack out of you.” 

*hit with a Hackey-Sack* “Aaah! Son of a bitch! Bastard! Aaah! God! Why me? Why me? Why? Does God hate me? Oh Jesus Christ!” 

“Oh my God I feel like I’m having an abortion!” 

“Mikayla, I’m six feet tall and weigh 105 pounds. I think I know how to mix x-lax into a fucking drink, ok?” 

“Mommy, what did you used to drink when you were a cheerleader?” “Squeez-its and Zima, why?” 

“Fuck it right it in the ass.” “No lube!” “Fisting!” “With a big black dildo!” The biggest!” 

“And don’t get me started on Pakistan. Ahmedinijad, am I right?” 

*principle making announcements* “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, I know I’m excited, my nipples are hard.” 

“’Oh yes! Oh, fuck yes! Who else is wet in here?” 

“I’m sorry, was I not just in the middle of a story?” “Yeah, but I wasn’t really that interested in it.”  

“Do you like making me look like a dickhole? Do you?” “You want me to say no, right?” 

“She may be a dirty fucking slut but at least she’s ours.” 

“Deandra, you’re a member of this family, you poop with us!” “Uh no. Deandra, you’re a cheerleader. You shit with us!”  

*waving amputated arms* “These are a little girl’s arms!” 

“How could you do this to us? You literally bombed us. Like the Japanese you are.” 

“Oh my, somebody’s going to be walking very funny tomorrow morning.” 

“The babies you make tonight are going to be so stupid.” 

“I swear, if I was into ladies, I’d be elbow deep in you right now.” “Hello.” 

“I’m being paid fifty dollars to stand here. Not talk to Rick Taylor’s bottom. Go away now.” 

“You look like a tampon that was dipped in skittles and vomit.” “Thank you.” 

“I get to run a hundred meters in the Special Olympics, I lost like twenty-seven pounds-” “Oh my god! What is your secret?” “...I had my arms ripped off.” 

“Well, I gave every boy in the school a blowjay!” 

"Um, Tanner, aren’t you gay?” "That’s a woman!?” 

[pcos-and-endo-awareness]

What’s YOUR personal experience with these disorders? :-)

Hello anon! I know I’ve made this post before but it’s buried somewhere. So here it is! Buckle up folks!

I always struggled with bad periods. Heavy flow, horrific cramps, irregular timing. I just thought that’s what it is and everyone deals with it. I figured the pain I experienced trying to use tampons was all in my head, some psychological fear due to my religious upbringing.

It wasn’t until college that I realized maybe my experience wasn’t normal. Maybe people aren’t supposed to be in this much pain. Maybe something was wrong. My pain got to be so overwhelming that I went to the emergency room. After a rather traumatic experience, I was eventually told that I had ovarian cysts and one of them had ruptured, and just go to my OBGYN and take some Advil. (Great advice, wonderful care. /s)

PCOS was in my family history, and my aunts and sisters all struggled with it. My then OBGYN diagnosed me with it, but basically said the same thing as the ER nurses. Take some ibuprofen and birth control and get over it. A diagnosis doesn’t do anything.

I had another episode with cysts about two years later, after I was out of college. I knew what it was this time, and I knew they’d only tell me the same thing. Take Advil and stop crying. So I didn’t bother going to the ER, and I tried to deal with the pain on my own. My (much nicer) OBGYN monitored the two softball sized cysts on my right ovary, and said we’d just keep an eye on them until they went away. That worked for a while, but not for long. One night my mother insisted on taking me to the ER because I was practically screaming in pain. After another traumatic visit, I was, you guessed it, told to take Advil and go home. It was probably another rupture.

Except it wasn’t. The next day I visited my OBGYN for an ultrasound so she could see what was going on. I was called back later that night and told to come in for emergency surgery. The cysts were torsing my ovary and cutting off the blood supply. Very scary situation, I’d never had a big surgery before. I was rushed in for the laparoscopy. This procedure usually takes less than a half hour. For me, I was on the table over two and a half hours. The reason being, not only did I have two huge cysts, but I was discovered to also have endometriosis. The cysts and all my organs had lesions, and everything was fused together. My OBGYN had to scrape the extra tissue from all my organs, she said it was the worst case of endo she’s ever seen, and I must have the highest pain tolerance ever to not be screaming my head off all day long. It was during this surgery I lost my right ovary, dead from having no blood supply.

Recovering from that surgery took me six months. It was brutal and at times, humiliating. My insides were raw and my muscles felt like goo. The only good thing to come out of it was meeting my lovely physical therapist, whom I still talk to today.

Today, five years later, I still deal with PCOS and endo. I have it mostly under control with the depo shot and many other medications. But… I struggle to lose weight, I have high blood pressure, I have major chronic fatigue, I’m at risk for diabetes, I still have migraines and flare ups and GI problems. My health is always going to be a problem for me. I am always going to be battling my hormones. I am going to struggle getting pregnant, if I even can. I am always going to have the risk of losing my other ovary and going into early menopause. I can only pray that these two disorders don’t take away more from me.

[yandere-daydreams]

What I've heard is the hymen which naturally thins over time anyways is protection for like. Baby afabs and toddler afabs since they get more....gross stuff up there.

More likely, however, is that the actual tissue is just a hold over from *growing* the vagina, labia, and canal. Not everything has an explicit purpose, sometimes things are hold overs. That's why men have nipples-it just so happens that the fetus will develop nipples before the "sex" is finalized and developed in the fetus. They have no purpose for men, but the body just...develops that way. Same thing with your Cupid's bow-it doesn't have a *purpose*. That's just where your face grew together so it gets a little funky.

Anyway. There isn't much research into the hymen because medical science continues to be mostly fascinated with amab people and their woes, and generally the white ones. The research we have on female specific or related conditions is woeful at best. We know barely anything about ovarian cysts and they affect like...every afab person at least once.

Cheers!

i've heard the thinning time and i think that makes sense purely off of, like,,,, a social perspective? i just know that a lot of the stories i've heard about hymen tearing come from people who lost their virginity as teenagers or had one of the Accursed Hobbies (gymnastics, horseback riding, etc.) when they were relatively young, as opposed to people who weren't that sporty and didn't start experimenting with penetrative sex until their 20s. my brain is very wattpad-poisoned though, so that might be a hot take based on too many fourteen-year-olds guessing what sex would be like based on things other fourteen-year-olds wrote.

the hold-over idea is also probably true to a certain degree, just because, if it /is/ supposed to keep stuff out of the vaginal canal, it's clearly not doing a very good job. kind of a cringe tissue patch if you ask me. doctors might know that if they could look at afab genitalia without assuming their patient is pregnant or hysterical or something.

[mangedog]

there's a post i reblogged recently about trans people and reproductive disorders and forced outing, and it reminded me of my own experiences as a trans man with a “female” reproductive disorder.

very long rant disguised as an info post below the cut:

so, i have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). it's a horribly named syndrome because polycystic ovaries - which are just one symptom of PCOS - aren't required to have PCOS, and you can have polycystic ovaries without having PCOS.

it's also badly named because it shifts the focus immediately to the “female” reproductive system, when PCOS is a complex, genetic, multi-system syndrome that affects the neuroendocrine, immune, digestive and metabolic systems. it's actually primarily a disorder of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis... not a disorder of the ovaries. i mean, i don't have ovaries anymore, and i never had cysts, but i still have PCOS.

it has a lot of subtypes and varieties (some researchers think it's actually different disorders all being misdiagnosed & lumped under the PCOS label), some of which can be considered intersex variations.

the other reason it's so badly named? dyadic cisgender men can have PCOS too.

and yet... absolutely no one recognises this. only (some) researchers actually acknowledge that PCOS isn't just a reproductive disorder and that anyone can have it and that its intersex. and the people who ignore it the most are the women with PCOS.

(yes, women with PCOS, because it's [almost] always the cis 'wouldn't touch the intersex label with a ten foot pole' (white) women who push the PCOS female reproductive disorder narrative the most)

PCOS spaces are almost invariably full of stories from women who are upset at their 'lack of femininity' and 'losing their bodies' to become fat, hairy un-women. the kind of people who go on 800 calories per day diets because they're so desperate to lose weight, even though PCOS itself makes this near impossible (as a metabolic disorder). and there are so so many snake oil websites (that are always pink and flowery) that are selling the magic cure for weight loss - hirsuitism - femininity all rolled into one.

all these PCOS women reassure each other that they're still women, even though they're fat and hairy and can't get pregnant - which , sure, if that's what you need to hear then there's no shame in that. but... not all people with PCOS are women. some are trans men, some are cis men, some are nonbinary, some are intersex women or men or nonbinary people... and sure. i don't expect every person looking for community support with their PCOS to read scientific papers on cis male PCOS, or to be aware of the existence of nonbinary people or trans men (though if they have an internet connection i'm sure they've heard something lol), but some thought would be nice.

i mean. the r/pcos subreddit explicitly states they're inclusive of LGBT people with PCOS but every second post begins with "ladies" or "cysters"... and there have been many posts and comments outraged at the notion of PCOS as intersex. (many supportive, too, but the overall vibe is definitely the latter). that's just one space on one social media website, and there will be spaces that are better than r/pcos ... and spaces that will be worse.

my point is, PCOS is a very complex syndrome that is terribly named, not restricted to the reproductive system or dyadic cis women, and community spaces need to reflect that.

[dubaiblogs]

Understanding Ovarian Cyst Removal: How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After The Procedure? 

If you have undergone a surgical procedure for ovarian cyst removal, it is quite natural to be worried about your future pregnancy. Read on to know how soon after ovarian cyst removal can you get pregnant

[they-are-a-prolife-autist]

Not sure if you remember, I’m the anon who went to the ER, and told my partner that if I’m pregnant then I’m keeping it.

1) still with that partner

2) it was an ovarian cyst, with evidence that one had ruptured, and pain complicated by BV

Pain is managed now with scheduled ibuprofen, and I had a course of antibiotics (taken with a probiotic too) that seems to have handled the pain

Thanks for the well wishes in the notes on that post ❤️

Glad to hear youre doing okay! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻