I didn't want to continue derailing the topic on the comment thread but I had a question about something you all mentioned about PCOS.
I was diagnosed with PCOS very young (I believe I was 9, before I had a period)
How would someone be able to know if they have hyperandrogenic PCOS vs hypoestrogenic PCOS? Or is it something I'd need to get blood testing for?
Blood testing would give you an answer, however you might be able to tell based on your symptoms.
If you have hyperandrogenic PCOS (which is roughly 80% of PCOS cases, so it's extremely likely), you'll have the typical hyperandrogenic symptoms. Which we discuss in our intersex guide, but we'll summarize it here.
You'll likely experience at least a few of these symptoms:
-Increased body/facial hair, higher muscle mass, a deepened voice, and/or clitoral growth
-Early puberty (which may lead to a shorter height than average), oily skin, higher levels of acne, a high libido, bald patches, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, behavioral disorders, mood disorders, and/or anxiety disorders.
For hypoestrogenic PCOS, its a bit more difficult to identify, but you may experience a few of these symptoms:
-Less or minimal development of secondary sex traits
-A delayed puberty, a low libido, genital dryness, a higher risk of urinary tract infections, less body/facial hair than average, low bone density, heart disease, sleep disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and/or frequent headaches.
