PCOS: What is it and What to do About it?

This week, Joeita interviews Kendall Soucie, director of the HEAL Lab at the University of Windsor, about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Highlights

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Diagnosis (PCOS) - Opening Remarks (00:00)
• Introducing Kendall Soucie – Director of the HEAL Lab (01:05)
• What is PCOS? (3:00)
• What Causes PCOS? (5:21)
• Stigma Around Women’s Reproductive Health (06:25)
• PCOS Impacts Beyond Fertility (09:58)
• Long Term Use of Birth Control Pills (14:55)
• Alternative Treatments & Lifestyle Changes (16:48)
• Body Image, Femininity & PCOS (19:50)
• Disclosure & Supporting Someone with PCOS (24:25)
• Closing Remarks (30:40)

Guest Bio

Dr. Kendall Soucie is an assistant professor of psychology in the applied social psychology department at the University of Windsor. She's also the director of the HEAL Lab, which is the health experience and longevity lab.

Reference:

Health Experiences and Longevity Lab

The Health Experiences and Longevity (HEAL) Lab is directed by Dr. Kendall Soucie in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor.

Her research interests lie at the intersection of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology. She is interested in understanding the psychosocial and institutional determinants of chronic health conditions (e.g., diagnosis experiences, misdiagnoses/errors, illness disclosures, social support, and illness stigma) within women's health. Her focus is on PCOS, the most common, yet misdiagnosed endocrine syndrome in individuals assigned female at birth, but she is also interested in IBD, HS, POTS, and endometriosis, and their impact on quality of life. Dr. Soucie also explores how chronic health conditions impact a person's identity/life story, body image, and relationships with others, across the lifespan. She focuses on aspects of strength, resilience, and healing, and building community in her work, with her most recent set of studies exploring "thriving with PCOS across the lifespan". Her second area of interest lies in understanding how youth contribute to their communities during the transition to adulthood--with foci on youth generativity, prosocial engagement, and environmental justice. Dr. Soucie integrates quantitative (SEM, HLM) and qualitative (life narrative/autobiography, interviews, arts-based methods) approaches to better understand these domains of study.

Monash University PCOS Guideline -

This International evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is designed to provide clear information to assist shared decision-making and support optimal patient care and better health outcomes for the one in eight women affected by this condition.

It is the culmination of the engagement of over 3,000 health professionals and the work of 100+ multidisciplinary clinical and lived experience experts from six continents and 71 countries internationally.

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