What labs do you need for PCOS?
⛱ ➡️ 🍂 Summer recap, October panel, self-advocacy in practice, and the election...
Happy Monday! This month’s newsletter is transitional (just like our weather…) rather than the usual op-ed. Take your pick on where you’d like to start reading:
MyAdvo x Salon 21 x Planned Parenthood event on Oct. 23rd
AdvoKit launch: PCOS Blood Tests
PCOS health update
Self-advocacy IRL
The election
📆 October 23rd NYC Panel
MyAdvo is excited to be joining Planned Parenthood of Greater NY again in a panel discussion about "Art, Advocacy, and the Fight for Women's Health" hosted by Salon 21. Join us at Salon 21's beautiful art and design space in downtown Manhattan, New York on Wednesday, October 23rd from 6pm-8pm ET. On view will also be artist Danielle Kosann's latest exhibition that "explores the transformative journeys women undertake." The event is ticketed, including drinks, and with proceeds, along with a portion of exhibition sales, being donated to PPGNY. Hope to see you there for a beautiful and motivational evening. Tickets available here! Limited seating available and a note that the venue is a two-floor walk-up.
🆕 AdvoKit: Blood Tests for PCOS
This has been a “summer of content” at MyAdvo. We created 5 new resources for our community since June, including our AdvoKits that are downloadable cheat-sheets for doctor appointments.
Our latest "Blood Tests for PCOS" AdvoKit, created with integrative and functional dietitian Olivia Wagner, is one I’m especially proud of because I know firsthand how hard it is to figure out where to start with PCOS. What’s included?
Most common initial tests for PCOS
Secondary tests to rule out other medical issues
Purpose of each test
Typical PCOS patient levels & associated Symptoms
If you suspect PCOS, this AdvoKit can guide an open conversation with your primary care provider about further investigation or a referral to a specialist like an Endocrinologist or Functional Medicine Provider.
If you've been diagnosed without a treatment plan, it can help you advocate for the right tests to understand your type of PCOS and develop a personalized treatment approach. Check out our "How To: Talk Symptoms with your Gyno” AdvoKit as well to help with practice phrases across these scenarios.
We also opened September #PCOSAwarenessMonth with the launch of our PCOS 101 Guide, medically reviewed by Dr. Alicia Robbins, Dr. Navya Mysore, and Olivia Wagner to make it simple to understand what PCOS is and who’s affected, its symptoms, as well as diagnosis and treatment options along with our advocacy tips.
Finally, our NEW Resources center where you can find all AdvoKits is LIVE!
Blood Tests for PCOS
How To: Talk Symptoms with your Gyno
How To: Advocate for your Health
Abortion Guide
🪫PCOS Health Update:
I’m finally back in NYC after spending summer in London with my fiance where he’s based. As much as a transatlantic (read: long-distance) romance sounds glamorous, I’ll be honest…this summer wrecked me. Not in the fun, wild, “rager” way but rather in a hormonal, fatigued, anxious one.
When I left, I’d successfully gotten my cycle under 35 days, acne under control, and my mood was sunny vs. doomsday. All of that was undone largely due to working across two different time zones. I totally fell off the bandwagon and have been procrastinating getting my updated PCOS bloodwork because I know how bad it’s going to be. (Not going to lie, launching our PCOS Blood Test AdvoKit is definitely motivating me to get this done now).
One of the things about adrenal PCOS is that it’s primarily triggered by stress that causes your adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys, to create high levels of DHEA-S and/or cortisol. It’s got me thinking about productivity and growth—two words we hear so much of when it comes to success. I often wonder: “How do you push yourself when pushing yourself slows you down?” For us women with chronic conditions, this is a constant push and pull. It’s hard to not feel like you’re constantly having to trade one thing for another in order to “feel good.” How do you fit the success formula when it’s defined by going fast while always grinding and delivering? (I’m probably just asking myself the age-old question of whether women can have it all but LMK what you think…)
⬇️ Self-Advocacy In Action
At the Gynecologist’s:
I did make it to my annual OBGYN appointment that I’d thoughtfully (?) scheduled for my first week back. We did the usual breast exam, pap smear, and STI testing. But, I’m beginning a new chapter in my health journey with a big goal of trying to conceive in a couple years. I had to use less than 20 minutes to update my gynecologist on this plan, my new PCOS diagnosis, and how to investigate my fibroids.
I used our “How To: Advocate for Your Health” and “How To: Talk Symptoms with your Gyno” AdvoKits to prepare for my appointment:
My Goals:
Prepare my body to conceive by Spring 2026
Check on growth & location of existing fibroids and identify new ones
Time fibroid surgery to avoid regrowth and minimize symptoms
Alleviate PCOS symptoms
Questions:
For the fibroids, can we do an MRI instead of a saline sonogram to help minimize pain?
How long should I wait between fibroid surgery and TTC?
Since my PCOS diagnosis was with my functional provider, what’s the best way to share test results from other providers? And vice versa?
Because of my family history of breast cancer, I’m considering the Myriad genetic test, which goes beyond just BRCA genes. Is that something I can do with you?
I’m grateful my gynecologist is open to self-advocacy. This includes her consent to record my appointments, so I focus on our conversation instead of scrambling to take notes.
DYK?
She also taught me that genetic testing for breast cancer can affect your life insurance premiums. Although GINA (2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) prevents health insurances from denying coverage based on gene mutations, it doesn’t apply to life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance. Another point to consider when timing testing and purchasing life insurance when family planning. Now that’s what I call shared decision-making 🤝.
At the Dermatologist’s:
My derm is a different story. My annual checkup took maybe 15 minutes, including a biopsy of a funky looking mole 😓. It’s really my PCOS-related acne that bothers me most. I am considering Spironolactone, which is more of a band-aid, but I’m hesitant about meds while prepping my body for TTC.
The moment I brought it up, my dermatologist was ready to prescribe, brushing off my fertility concerns. It wasn’t until she mentioned the potential side effects, like irregular periods, that I had to stand firm. I need to get my cycle regular and under 35 days before adding anything that might mess with it. I told her I’d revisit acne meds next year, after tackling my cycle. The Advocacy Framework really helped me stay focused on my health goals, especially when specialists get pushy. In a fragmented healthcare system, you’re the ultimate decision-maker. Use that veto power for what’s best for you!
🗳 On everyone’s mind…
The election. If you're voting in New York, there’s an important proposition on the ballot this November: the New York Equal Rights Amendment (NY ERA). Currently, the state constitution doesn’t protect many minority groups like pregnant people, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with disabilities. The NY ERA would add protections for race, religion, and explicitly safeguard against discrimination. This is also the amendment that protects the right to abortion, preventing the state from (Source):
implementing a state abortion ban
stopping state funding for abortion via Medicaid
banning private insurance coverage of abortion
prosecuting or criminalizing miscarriage
adding medically unnecessary burdens on patients or facilities
When I got back to NY, I checked my voter registration ✅ and decided if I needed an absentee ballot (which you need to request)! Here’s a checklist of NY deadlines:
Registration deadlines
In-person at local election office : Oct 26
Online : Oct 26
By mail (received by) : Oct 26
Absentee ballot deadlines
Request ballot (received by) : Oct 26
Return ballot in person : Nov 5 by 9:00 p.m. EST
Voting deadlines
Early voting : Oct 26 - Nov 3
In-person : Nov 5
Will check back in with all of you right before the madness starts! Happy Fall!
🔖 MyAdvo Monthly Reads
(policy, podcasts, research, trends & more to advocate for yourself)
📣 US Surgeon calls for greater support for parents in public health advisory
📈 Black women 25% more likely to have a C-Section than White women
📈 Texas pregnant women deaths increased 56% since abortion ban vs. national 11%
📚 Endometriosis linked to higher heart risks
📚 Women with endometriosis have 4x higher risk of ovarian cancer
🗺 Most detailed map of uterine lining sheds light on endometriosis
🗺 Unprecedented imaging shows how pregnancy changes brain
⭐️ Selena Gomez reveals she cannot carry children due to medical issues
💖 Duo launched non-profit to help Black women access fibroid surgery
LOVE the tool kits!