My Ideal World - A Manifesto

I was thinking about all the things which are wrong about this syndrome, the way in which it is treated (literally and metaphorically), about the attitude of medical professionals, the condition itself and how it is handled (or rather, not handled), about how the wrong advice is more often given than the right advice.

Wouldn't it be great if we could stop anyone else going through this in the future? 

Being the optimist that I am, I decided to imagine a different world, and I wondered what I would put in it for PCOS and for its treatment. Of course, I'd rather a world with NO PCOS, but maybe, if we could work towards these steps, it might just bring us to that.

When I say "we" I'm referring to the community as a whole and that means all stakeholders (sufferers, medics, holistic therapists, our family members and wider society):

1. - We stop calling it PCOS - it's a hormone imbalance affecting the whole endocrine system. Removing the PCOS moniker enables a much more sensible debate, treatment plan and holistic outlook, and of course, recognises that the condition involves far more than just wonky ovaries
2. - We stop blaming women for their condition
3. - Awareness levels are such that no-one feels isolated, alone or like a freak, and instead are supported by their medical team and community
4. - We stop telling women to go away and just "live with it"
5. - We make women aware of the long-term and devastating consequences which can occur when this syndrome gets chronic
6. - We recognise that PCOS has significant life-limiting potential, in terms of significant weight gain, heart disease diabetes and a range of associated conditions
7. - When women go on the contraceptive pill we are alive to the possibility of developing these side effects, and we test for them. 
8. - We test early and often (this goes for a whole raft of conditions and would, in my view, save the NHS millions of pounds per year), but this is definitely the case for PCOS
9. - We identify the syndrome early - this means basing diagnosis on testing rather than visible/tangible symptoms
10. - We look to intervene early - I would love to catch this in others and head it off at the pass, rather than waiting until everything is a last-ditch effort, even if, in the preliminary stages this just means advising changes to diet and lifestyle
11. - We test for ovary health, thyroid health, hormone levels (insulin, oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone,  thyroxine etc), vitamin and mineral deficiencies as a matter of course and use a SENSIBLE measurement against them, rather than applying the incredibly broad "normal" spectrum which the NHS applies at the moment
12. - We look at holistic hormone support FIRST (diet, lifestyle, supplementation etc), with structure to assist women, rather than the sufferer having to make it up on their own
13. - To women who have not previously taken it, we stop shoving the contraceptive pill at them as a "cure all" for their symptoms, when there's a fair chance it will make it worse, trying instead to offer a range of sensible treatments
14. - We exhaust natural methods before we resort to heavy medical treatments (such as Clomid) to promote conception in women who have experienced difficulties. I realise how brilliant Clomid can be, I'm just saying there's probably other steps on the way...
15. - We promote the sufferer as the guardian and ultimate authority on her treatment. Every woman is different, and will make decisions based on her own particular circumstances
16. - We empower the sufferer to take responsibility for their own treatment

What do you think of this list? What would you like to see added? It would be great to hear your views.