A Study to Measure the Health Awareness of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND STUDY: There are various health disorders among women which might lead to various healthcare complications. In such cases, lack of awareness is one of the primary reasons for prolonged identification or poor disease self-management. Additionally, the freeness or comfort in discussing or gaining information can be a major limitation in managing such diseases. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one such disorder among the women which can occur at reproductive age, and may cause infertility. The occurrence of disease at such a young age could lead to stress among the patients, and it also has major complications which can affect the health and lifestyles of the people diagnosed with PCOS. Therefore, it is very essential to increase the awareness about the disease and its self-management practices among the women.

STUDY AIM: The purpose of this study is to identify the level of awareness about PCOS among the Saudi women.

STUDY DESIGN: An online survey questionnaire is used for collecting the knowledge levels of Saudi women with PCOS, in the aspects of physiology of female reproductive systems, knowledge of pathophysiology of PCOS, complications associated with PCOS, and self-management techniques.

RESULTS: A minimal awareness about signs, symptoms, complications and self-management approaches of PCOS was observed in more than 60% of the motivated sample population.

CONCLUSION: It is observed and suggested that the perception of long-term metabolic effects of PCOS on the health of affected individual needs to be optimized. Effective methods for increasing awareness using internet and communication technologies should be developed and promoted among the women.