My name is Rosie Blackburn, and I am a third year Anthropology student at Durham University. Anthropology is mainly interested in understanding lived experiences of individual people. In this instance I plan to investigate individual experiences of PCOS for women in the UK. More specifically I want to understand your own path to diagnosis:
- why you sought medical help
- at what age were you diagnosed
- how many medical professionals did you see before you received a diagnosis
- how did you feel after receiving the diagnosis?
I will also be looking at whether you have received any professional treatment for the symptoms of PCOS, if so, what were these? If not, how do you manage these symptoms?
Finally, I am particularly interested in how, or if, having a PCOS diagnosis has affected your identity as a woman and sense of self.
It will be a short interview; you will not be pushed to speak on subjects you feel uncomfortable talking about and you will be in total control of the direction of the interview.
As a PCOS sufferer myself I feel very passionate about conducting this study in order to contribute to the few social studies out there on women’s experiences of PCOS. As an anthropologist I am particularly interested in individual experiences and feel that accounts of these experiences are vital if more meaningful treatments are to be created and the condition is to be better understood.
Please contact rosie.blackburn@durham.ac.uk for more info and to get involved.
Verity - The PCOS charity 