Seven years ago, after I didn’t have my period for six months, I asked my GP if she thought it could be polycystic ovary syndrome. One of the most common symptoms of PCOS – a condition associated with increased levels of hormones in the body, which can disrupt your cycle – is irregular periods.

Among other classic symptoms, I had acne, thin hair and mood changes, yet my GP said that I “definitely didn’t have it”. People with PCOS all have a high body mass index (BMI), she told me. What I heard was: Your body doesn’t add up.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is believed to be the most common endocrine condition in women of reproductive age, affecting between 6 and 13 per cent.Credit: Getty Images

It took another five years to get diagnosed. By that point, I had seen another doctor, asked for a referral, and took myself to get an internal ultrasound. I cried when the technician rolled the wand around and said, “vaginal walls, normal. Cervix, normal,” then stopped when he got to my ovaries. Hearing they were polycystic was, in some ways, a relief. It was also deeply upsetting.

From there, I quickly found myself referred to a slew of inappropriate weight loss programs. Glossy pamphlets covered with stock images of........

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