What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone imbalance that can cause irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, and acne. PCOS begins during a girl’s teen years and can be mild or severe.

Some of the most common signs of PCOS include:

  • Irregular periods that come every few months, not at all, or too frequently
  • Extra hair on your face or other parts of your body, called hirsutism (her-suit-is-em)
  • Acne
  • Weight gain and/or trouble losing weight
  • Patches of dark skin on the back of your neck and other areas, called acanthosis nigricans (a-can-tho-sis ni-gri-cans)

Check out our PCOS health guides.

Do you think you might have PCOS? Take our quiz to find out.