“It's not very feminine to have a mustache”: Experiences of Danish women with polycystic ovary syndrome

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  • Gertrud Ursula Pfister
  • Kristine Rømer

This article explores women's lived experiences with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the basis of semistructured interviews with 21 Danish women. It provides insights about the problems that they experienced and how they coped with PCOS. The interviews revealed that they were highly influenced by society's femininity norms. Many of them perceived their bodies as “different” because of the symptoms of PCOS, namely, hirsutism. They used different strategies to live up to body ideals and cope with the symptoms. However, hirsutism had a decisive negative influence on the women's everyday lives, particularly with regard to male partners and sexual relations.

Original languageEnglish
JournalHealth Care for Women International
Volume38
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)167-186
Number of pages20
ISSN0739-9332
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

ID: 171579037