Untitled Goose Game

ON YOUR PAGE.

IF I DONT SEE IT

YOURE ASSUMED UNDERAGE.

The term polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has long been recognised as inaccurate and potentially harmful. The following evidence-based considerations informed the need for a new name:

• The term polycystic ovary implies the presence of pathological ovarian cysts, which are not a feature of the condition. This misnomer contributes to misunderstandings among patients, clinicians, policy makers, and the public.

• PCOS encompasses diverse endocrine, metabolic, reproductive, psychological, and dermatological features. The current name reflects only one organ and fails to capture the disorder's multisystem nature.

• Confusion arising from the current name can delay diagnosis and hinder effective communication between patients and health professionals, contributing to patient dissatisfaction with care.

• The reproductive focus of the name can reinforce stigma, particularly in sociocultural contexts where fertility carries high value. Many individuals report distress associated with the name itself.

• The misnomer complicates epidemiological classification, research comparability, and health system coding. A more accurate name is expected to improve scientific coherence, research funding, and policy alignment.

• International guidelines, expert groups, and patient organisations have repeatedly called for renaming, with serial surveys and workshops culminating in a mandate to change the name through a rigorous, global consensus process.

And that's not bad! It's true for a lot of people! You CAN go back later! You can apply to university, you can get your GED, you can pursue whatever level of education you want. It's not bad to share that message. If you dropped out and want to go back eventually, there is zero timeline. You can go back at any age, with any life experience. You do not have to graduate by a specific age.

But as someone who dropped out of college over a decade ago, sometimes "you can always go back!" starts to feel a little like an empty platitude. Sometimes it starts to feel grating instead of hopeful. Even when it might technically be true, sometimes it still feels like a hollow sentiment.

I just want to say, to anyone else out there who feels that way, who dropped out and CAN'T go back, potentially EVER, whether it's due to poverty or disability or any other reason:

It's okay to drop out and never go back. It might feel shitty, and you may even feel grief over it. That's real, and painful, and allowed. But you are not lesser. Even if you never go back, you are not a failure or a loser. Academics do not define your worth. You are not stupid. And it is almost certain that the system actually failed YOU.

With love,

I personally still deal with a lot of grief about how my university career ended, but that's just one experience. I know other people with zero regrets, who talk openly about the ways that dropping out literally saved their lives. Life throws nasty curveballs sometimes.