When 12-year-old Ananya Bhadoria got her first period, her mother Neha expected the conversations to mostly revolve around pads, cramps, and mood swings. But within a year, she became cognisant of other changes like sudden weight gain, fatigue, irregular periods, and constant cravings for sugary food. Having struggled with PCOD herself in her twenties, the Bengaluru-based mother sensed something was off.
“I didn’t want her to grow up confused about her body the way I was,” she says. Instead of alarming her daughter, Neha slowly started having conversations around sleep, hormones, food, stress, and why periods are an important sign of overall health.
For many Indian parents, PCOD or Polycystic Ovarian Disease, is still seen as something women deal with later in life, usually when fertility problems arise. Doctors say the condition often begins much earlier, sometimes soon after puberty.
What the Fuss is all about
PCOD is one of the most prevalent hormonal conditions affecting women in their reproductive years, usually between the ages of 12 and 45. Hormonal abnormalities that interfere with regular menstrual cycles and ovulation are its hallmark. In this condition, ovaries produce immature eggs in excess, which in turn fail to be released, eventually becoming tiny fluid-filled sacs called cysts.
According to a study done by JAMA Network, there is a high prevalence of PCOD among the reproductive age group of women in India. The study reveals, “Among women with PCOS, 43.2% had obesity, 91.9% had dyslipidemia, 32.9% had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 24.9% had metabolic syndrome, 3.4% had diabetes, and 8.3% had hypertension.”
As per a paper published in JMIR Research Protocols, “Global prevalence of PCOS among geographical zones is reported differently as 5%-10% in developed countries, 5%-30% in the United States, and 3.7%-22.5% across India.”
The condition is increasingly being linked to lifestyle changes, poor sleep, processed food, stress, obesity, and low physical activity.
Doctors also say the condition is no longer considered only a reproductive disorder. “PCOD is a metabolic condition that can affect several systems in the body,” explains Dr Sunitha Mahesh, Medical Director and Senior Consultant — Infertility and Maternal Fetal Medicine at Milann Fertility and Birthing Hospital, Bengaluru. “If left unaddressed, it may increase the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and reproductive complications later in life,” she says.
The challenge is that many early symptoms are often dismissed as “normal puberty.” Irregular periods, acne, mood swings, mild weight gain, and hair changes are common during adolescence, making PCOD harder to identify early. “Delayed diagnosis is common because many symptoms overlap with normal pubertal changes,” says Dr Sunitha.
She advises parents to pay attention if symptoms persist particularly irregular cycles, excessive facial hair growth, severe acne, unusual weight gain around the waist, darkening around the neck or underarms, fatigue, or hair thinning.
Awareness among parents is improving, but slowly
Delhi-based journalist Prachi Raturi, mother to 17-year-old Aditri, says most people still associate PCOD with older women. “I don’t think there’s enough awareness about PCOD in younger girls. Most people think it’s something women in their 20s or 30s deal with.”
She believes mothers play a huge role in how girls emotionally process these conversations. “It’s important for mothers to normalise these discussions. If the mother becomes anxious, the child will feel like something is terribly wrong. Girls need to know that if the right steps are taken, it can be managed.”
Like many urban mothers today, Shaleena Madhavan Nair from Bengaluru finds herself thinking about hormonal health much earlier than parents once did. Though her daughters, aged 14 and 10, have not shown symptoms, she consciously tries to build healthy routines at home.
“I insist on eating healthy and avoiding too much junk food, though it’s difficult because children eat with friends. I try to limit junk food to two or three times a month. I also make sure they get at least two hours of physical activity daily through dance or sports and proper sleep,” expresses Shaleena.
Small habits can make a real difference
“Lifestyle management remains one of the most effective approaches in managing PCOD,” says Dr Sunitha. She recommends balanced meals, reduced junk food, regular exercise, adequate sleep, stress management, and maintaining a healthy body weight. According to Dr Sunitha, the mothers should avoid reducing the conversation only to weight. “PCOD is not just about body weight. It involves hormonal balance, insulin sensitivity, mental health, and overall metabolic well-being.”
It’s crucial because many girls grow up internalising shame around their bodies instead of understanding the intricacies of hormonal development. Neha says she consciously refrained from making her daughter’s health about becoming thin. “Indian families often body-shame girls very quickly. I didn’t want her to feel she was being watched or judged.”
Instead, the family adopted healthier habits together such as evening walks, less screen time before bed, and healthier home-cooked meals. Parents also need to trust their instincts, say doctors. “The quicker we take action, the better. There’s no point waiting endlessly if you feel something needs intervention,” remarks Prachi.
Dr Sunitha agrees that mothers are often the first to notice subtle changes. “Early recognition and intervention during adolescence can significantly improve future reproductive, metabolic, and cardiovascular health.” In many ways, the conversation around PCOD now needs to begin much earlier than it once did, not with fear, but with awareness and openness. For a growing number of young girls, hormonal health is becoming an integral aspect of adolescence. Early awareness does not mean a childhood filled with medical interventions – doctor visits and unnecessary medication, it means helping girls build healthier habits, understand their bodies better, and seek timely help when something feels amiss.
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