US Senate introduces resolution to recognize PCOS

The U.S. Senate introduced a resolution to recognize September 2018 as “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness Month,” a designation intended to raise awareness and promote education about the disorder with the goal of improving diagnosis and treatment, PCOS Challenge announced in a press release.

PCOS Challenge — The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association, worked with Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, David Perdue, R-GA, and five other leaders to introduce Senate Resolution 336. The bipartisan resolution represents the first time there has been a central focus on PCOS in the U.S. Senate, according to PCOS Challenge, and follows the introduction of House Resolution 495, the PCOS resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Senate Resolution 336 encourages states, territories and localities to support the goals and ideals of PCOS Awareness Month: To increase awareness of, and education about, the disorder among women, girls and health care professionals; to improve diagnosis and treatment of the disorder; to disseminate information on diagnosis and treatment options and improve quality of life and outcomes for women and girls with PCOS.

The resolution also recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls affected by PCOS residing within the United States, and urges medical researchers and health care professionals to advance their understanding of PCOS to research, diagnose and aid women and girls with the condition.

"There is significant interest in PCOS in Congress and the connection to its comorbidities," Sasha Ottey, executive director of PCOS Challenge, the largest patient organization for women and girls with PCOS, said in the release. "House Resolution 495 is the leading health resolution in the 115th Congress with 57 cosponsors. A number of members in the U.S. House and Senate have expressed interest in working on subsequent legislation around PCOS.”

Ottey added that PCOS Challenge has built a coalition of 70 major health organizations supporting the effort.

“PCOS is one of the most pervasive and underserved public health issues threatening the mental and physical health and quality of life of girls, women and their families,” Ottey said. “The disorder affects 10% to 15% of women and can lead to infertility, lifelong complications and the most common causes of death in women, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.”

"Polycystic ovary syndrome is a health issue that affects millions of women in the United States,” Warren said a statement. “I am encouraged by my bipartisan work with Sen. Perdue to raise awareness for the syndrome and will continue to push for the investments in biomedical research and the improvements to our health care system necessary to solve the challenges posed by PCOS."

"Polycystic Ovary Syndrome affects more than 200,000 women in the state of Georgia and can lead to other serious conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Raising awareness for this syndrome is the first step in preventing further health risks. I am proud to be part of this effort in the Senate to bring greater awareness to the need for improved care and more research," Perdue said.

Additional cosponsors of Senate Resolution 336 include Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, Cory Booker, D-NJ, Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, and Johnny Isakson, R-GA.

Some of the leading organizations also supporting the resolution include the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Endocrine Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.