I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) when I was in my 20’s. Right from the start I had period issues, severe pain, irregular bleeding, flooding, but no investigation was done when I was a teen. Like many, I was put of the ‘pill’ for my symptoms and sent on my way. It wasn’t until I went off the pill in the hopes of becoming a mother that the PCOS was discovered. My period didn’t return and, although I was told that was normal, I could feel that it wasn’t, that something was ‘off’. I insisted on a blood test and an ultrasound, and there was the evidence, and the answer, full blown androgen dominant PCOS. There is an abundance of information by women out there about PCOS, how it feels, what it looks like to live with, but here, I want to move on to what I discovered years later, that no one mentioned, few even knew…

I was diagnosed in my 40’s with ADHD and ASD, commonly called AuDHD by the neurodiverse community. It was a huge piece of my puzzle that had been missed for years. For all of my childhood, schooling, adolescence and even young adulthood, no one had seen in me what, when discovered, seemed obvious. I wanted to know as much as I could about who I was, who I had always been, and how this new diagnosis might interact with what I already knew about myself.

I decided to Google ‘PCOS, ADHD and ASD’ as my working background in both education and women’s health and fertility was tickling my brain with the idea that there was possibly a link. I was not wrong, articles and research articles flooded my computer confirming what I suspected. Women with PCOS are more likely to be neurodivergent and have a diagnosis of ADHD and/or ASD. Research suggested there was a strong link between higher androgen levels in women with PCOS and neurodivergent traits, leading to diagnosis. That wasn’t all, however. The moment that really blew my mind what when I read that women with PCOS are more likely to to have children who have ADHD and/or ASD, and not by a small amount. Some studies reported children of PCOS women had an over 40% higher risk of being born with ADHD and an over 50% higher risk of being born with ASD.

I had been successful in having two babies, with the help of IVF, and you guessed it, my oldest son was diagnosed AuDHD (ADHD and ASD) and my youngest daughter was diagnosed ASD. I remember reading some of the articles after my Google search and then just sitting, for a long time, thinking about all of the information. I realised that there is so much that we are discovering or knowledge we are building upon that can help people to live fuller lives. Being given information that helps us to make informed decisions, be more prepared for future circumstances, or simply put more of the puzzle that is ourselves together.

Having PCOS does not automatically mean that you have, or will have children with ADHD or ASD, but it does heighten your chances. Knowing would not have changed any of the decisions I made in life around parenting or having children, however it would have armed me with knowledge so I was ready. So I could better receive and offer support, and that feels important.

If you want to know more about the links I found within myself, some of the articles are linked below.

Please seek medical advice if you suspect you have either PCOS or a neurodivergent condition.

By Lauren Nielsen