92 – PCOS Advocacy Opportunities for Every Woman

“I feel like my body has let me down, like I’ve let myself down. Sometimes, I feel broken. I feel embarrassed. But I realize that sometimes, you have to outweigh those fears with the fact that your story has to be told, because your story makes a difference. Everything that you do to raise awareness, to get involved, makes a difference.”

-Ashley Levinson

Women who are seeking a diagnosis for PCOS will, on average, see two to three doctors before they get a diagnosis. Even after diagnosis, women with PCOS are simply told to lose weight, take a pill, and go on their way. That’s not ok. We deserve better care. Our daughters, sisters, and friends deserve better treatment. Ashley Levinson is a well-known PCOS advocate and joins the podcast to talk about the challenges facing women with PCOS and how we all can advocate for better research and education. Listen as we discuss:

• Issues such as the importance of early diagnosis and post-pill syndrome
• Self-advocacy at the doctor
• How to begin advocating & get involved
• PCOS Awareness Month & World PCOS Day

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Resources mentioned in the podcast:

• PCOSGurl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
• PCOS Challenge website
• Worldwide PCOS 5K walk and run

Ashley Levinson has been a PCOS Patient Advocate for over 18 years serving her mission to bring more awareness to a syndrome that affects so many and is often misunderstood and dismissed. Her advocacy includes online campaigns #Heart4PCOS and #LemonFaceChallenge which have run over the past three years and engaged thousands online.
She has a background in healthcare as an orthopaedic surgical first assist and certified medical assistant and has served as a PCOS Program coordinator for Drexel PCOS Center and volunteer, executive director and advisor to many PCOS, Chronic Illness and Women’s Health Organizations. She has and continues to advance awareness through social media campaigns, articles, podcasts and blog posts and has made multiple appearances on television ncluding Discovery Health’s Mystery Diagnosis to advance education about the syndrome. Recently Ashley joined PCOS Challenge in Washinton DC to lobby for legislation to bring more funding and awareness to PCOS.