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Lawmakers hear push to make September PCOS awareness month to boost diagnosis, maternal care
Summary
Advocates, medical nonprofits and patients urged the committee to designate September as PCOS Awareness Month to drive earlier diagnosis, improved maternal-care counseling and education for adolescents; bill previously received favorable committee action in earlier sessions.
Witnesses testified in support of H.3392 / S.2173 to designate September as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) Awareness Month in the Commonwealth, saying a state observance would raise diagnosis rates, drive earlier intervention, and focus attention on maternal and adolescent health needs.
Advocates said PCOS affects roughly one in 10 women and that many cases go undiagnosed for years. “According to the World Health Organization up to 70 percent of cases of PCOS are undiagnosed,” said Kate Weldon LeBlanc of All Paths Family Building. Will Patterson of PCOS Challenge, the national association, told the committee research indicates patients commonly wait two to seven years from symptom onset to diagnosis, and that early intervention reduces long-term risks such as type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer.
Testimony highlighted specific public-health priorities tied to a state observance: week-by-week awareness themes (support and advocacy; fertility and maternal health; lifestyle management; related disorders; adolescent health), provider education, and school outreach. Laura Steller, testifying on maternal risks, said women with PCOS have approximately doubled risks for complications including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia and stressed the need for better preconception counseling.
Supporters noted no organized opposition in committee; several witnesses said the bill had been favorably reported in previous sessions and urged timely committee action so awareness activities and provider trainings could be scheduled statewide.
What happens next: The committee may report the bill favorably and send it to the floor; advocates requested coordination with public-health agencies to use any observance as a platform for targeted outreach and provider training.
