Ans. Yes, you can ovulate even if you have Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS.)
PCOS is a complex disorder and there are still disagreements among the medical community on how to classify it. The Rotterdam criteria is the most widely accepted way of diagnosing PCOS. To diagnose PCOS, a patient must have two of the following three signs, as per the Rotterdam criteria:
- Failure to ovulate regularly (Oligo- or an-ovulation)
- Excess androgen (‘male hormone’) activity. This measured via laboratory tests (of male hormones like testosterone, DHEA, and androstenedione.) Symptoms like acne and hair loss can also be an indication of excess male hormones.
- Polycystic ovaries visualized by ultrasound, from follicles that grow but don’t ovulate
This means that even if you ovulate regularly, you can be diagnosed with PCOS should you meet the other two criteria.
Women with PCOS who ovulate regularly are often classified as:
- Non-traditional PCOS 2 – with normal ovulatory patterns, increased testosterone levels and mild insulin-resistance or
- Idiopathic hirsutism – with normal ovulatory patterns, increased testosterone levels and no insulin resistance
Mahesh is a hormone health counsellor & holistic health expert. He has a Mastery Certification in Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis from the US, is certified in Functional Nutrition from Washington State University and uses a wide array of healing modalities to guide his clients to vibrant health and well-being.