‘More than my ovaries’: Redefining PCOS

‘More than my ovaries’: Redefining PCOS

From Focus on Africa by BBC World Service

June 5, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of PCOS, now known as PMOS, on women's health through personal stories.

PCOS affects an estimated 170 million women worldwide during their reproductive years yet as many as 70% of those affected remain undiagnosed, according the World Health Organization. Experts hope that will change following the condition’s recent renaming to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), a term they say better reflects its impact on the whole body, not just the ovaries. So what is it like to live with the condition? We spoke to 35-year-old Bianca Chenai from Zimbabwe, and 25-year-old Ghanaian, Juliana Naa Dede who have been living with PMOS from a young age. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Fana Negash and Basma El Atti Technical Producer: David Nzau Senior Producer: Priya Sippy and Carolyne Kiambo Jotham Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

People in this episode

Host: Nkechi Ogbonna

Guests: Bianca Chenai, Juliana Naa Dede

Topics covered

  • PCOS
  • health
  • women's health
  • medical conditions
  • diagnosis
  • living with PMOS

Keywords

  • PCOS
  • PMOS
  • women's health
  • diagnosis
  • reproductive health
  • biomedical terminology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: World Health Organization, BBC World Service

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