
‘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
More episodes of Focus on Africa
- Is the internet dividing men and women? · June 12, 2026 · 23 min
- Africa's World Cup dream: controversy and opportunity · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
- DRC: How armed conflict is affecting Ebola response · June 10, 2026 · 23 min
- Nigeria: Freed from Boko Haram · June 9, 2026 · 23 min
- African prisoners of war in Ukraine · June 8, 2026 · 23 min
- South Africa: what realities face those fleeing xenophobia? · June 4, 2026 · 23 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Focus on Africa podcast page.