PCOS Challenge and UCLA Health Address Critical PCOS Healthcare Gaps Impacting Millions of Women

LOS ANGELES, June 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- PCOS Challenge, the leading nonprofit support organization for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), announces its Western Regional PCOS Awareness Symposium to help address seven critical education and healthcare practice gaps adversely impacting the physical, mental and emotional health of millions of women. These education and practice gaps are causing many women and girls with PCOS to struggle for years undiagnosed or ill-equipped to address the mental, emotional and physical issues that scar their social development and leave them exposed to numerous life-threatening related conditions. The PCOS Challenge symposia help address education and healthcare gaps by bringing together hundreds of patients and world leading researchers and clinicians for a day of sharing experiences, insights and the latest updates about the condition.

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PCOS is a genetic, hormonal, metabolic and reproductive disorder that affects 10 percent of women. It is the leading cause of female infertility and has devastating effects on women's and girls' quality of life due to symptoms including excess facial hair growth, acne, hair loss, depression and obesity. Women with PCOS constitute the largest group of women at risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The National Institutes of Health estimates 50 percent of women with PCOS will become diabetic or pre-diabetic before age 40. Additionally, some studies have shown women with PCOS to be at higher risk for endometrial, ovarian and breast cancer. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism also found women with PCOS are twice as likely to be hospitalized as other women.

The UCLA Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility is the Presenting Sponsor for the Western Regional PCOS Awareness Symposium to be held on Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 9AM – 5PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center located at 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095. The event will be followed by the Southern Regional PCOS Awareness Symposium in Atlanta on September 19th.

"We are grateful to UCLA Health and all our sponsors for their national leadership on PCOS and commitment to women's health. There are people and organizations that talk about change and there are those who move the needle when it comes to PCOS awareness, education, support and research. PCOS Challenge would like to recognize all our sponsors and presenters as true champions for women and girls with PCOS," says Sasha Ottey, Executive Director of PCOS Challenge. "We have surveyed over 29,000 women and it is clear that there are serious and systemic problems in healthcare regarding PCOS diagnosis, treatment and support. These problems are compounded by the general lack of awareness and education about the condition, particularly among those who are responsible for protecting public health, making funding decisions and those who are in a position to influence healthcare policy. For far too long, the calls for help by millions affected by PCOS have gone unanswered. Through the PCOS Awareness Symposia and our other efforts, we have taken a leadership role in addressing these education and healthcare gaps as well as the expressed needs of tens-of-thousands of PCOS patients."

"UCLA Health has always been committed to ensuring that women with PCOS benefit from the latest advances in clinical research and that every woman receives the highest level of health care. We are proud to partner with PCOS Challenge to put on the PCOS Awareness Symposium in Los Angeles. This is a much needed event for the Western Region. PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women and deserves significantly more attention. We hope that other leaders will join us to help improve the lives of those affected," says Dr. Daniel Dumesic, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Division Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Other PCOS Awareness Symposium sponsors include Baxter International Inc., DuoFertility, Theralogix Reproductive Health, Chiral Balance, Southern California Reproductive Center, Reproductive Fertility Nutritionals, the American Electrology Association, Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles, The Baron Solution Group and Fairhaven Health.

For more information on the PCOS Awareness Symposium, registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit http://pcoschallenge.org/symposium/.

Contact:
William R. Patterson
(404) 855-7244

SOURCE PCOS Challenge

Related Links

http://pcoschallenge.org