Actress Francia Raisa is well-known for her roles in Grown-Ish, Bring It On: All Or Nothing, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and How I Met Your Father. She’s also been in the news for donating one of her kidneys to Selena Gomez six years ago; Gomez’s health struggles with lupus prompted the need. Now, Raisa is making headlines once again for sharing her experience of living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
In reporting on Yahoo! Entertainment, Beth Shilladay shares that 35-year-old Raisa shared her diagnosis after congratulating Candice Craig for publishing Living with PCOS: Road to Reversal. It still isn’t clear whether Raisa’s diagnosis was recent or she has known for some time. However, she is completely within her right to keep that information personally!
Regardless of the time of diagnosis, Raisa took to Instagram to share Craig’s book. As she shared congratulations, she also mentioned that she was still learning to live with the impact of PCOS.
We wish Raisa well on her journey and thank her for raising PCOS awareness, even though sharing the story of health struggles can be immensely personal and tough.
About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. This imbalance prevents the ovaries from developing normal eggs or releasing eggs. As a result, people with PCOS may experience irregular menstrual periods. Although the name says polycystic, not everyone with PCOS develops cysts on the ovaries, though a majority do. PCOS usually manifests during reproductive years and is one of the most common causes of female infertility.
Symptoms appear after puberty and may include:
- Irregular or infrequent periods
- Excess facial hair
- Hair loss
- Severe acne
- Weight gain, especially around the abdomens
- Skin tags
- Darkened or thickened patches of skin on the back of the neck, armpits, or under the breasts
- Enlarged and cystic ovaries
Symptoms may be worse if you are obese. Without treatment, complications can occur. These include sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, abnormal uterine bleeding, endometrial cancer, depression and anxiety, and issues with pregnancy.
PCOS can be managed with birth control pills, spironolactone, lifestyle changes, electrolysis, and clomiphene, among others.
