More Than 636,000 Women Took PCOS Self-Assessment in Under One Month

PCOS Health Assistant was broadly available in the Flo app during September. We thank everyone who helped us to spread awareness about this condition by interacting with the PCOS Health Assistant, sharing the information with their friends, and telling us their stories.  

Why is PCOS awareness important? Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age and still goes undiagnosed in up to 70% of affected women. It can lead to health conditions such as infertility, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. 

In just 26 days, 4.3 million women saw the PCOS information in the Flo app. More than 636,000 women took the self-assessment through Flo’s PCOS Health Assistant. Based on these interactions, approximately 248,000 women were recommended to ask their doctors about signs of hormonal imbalance, which may be associated with PCOS, at their next appointment. 

The most frequently logged combinations of symptoms indicating an increased risk of PCOS included irregular cycle, acne,  hirsutism, hyperpigmentation, excessive hair loss, and abnormal cycle length.

The Flo’s PCOS Health Assistant tool was developed in accordance with international evidence-based guidelines for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in collaboration with Dr. Tahir Mahmood, chair of the Standards of Care and Position Statements group, European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

 “We're glad that we can bring more understanding of underdiagnosed conditions such as PCOS,” said Kamila Staryga, Vice President of Product at Flo. “Our goal is to significantly improve the health and well-being of every woman in the world and to provide our millions of users across the globe with evidence-based medical information to help them make more informed decisions on their health. Flo doesn't replace a doctor. It enhances and facilitates patient-doctor communication. Often it is hard to realize that the symptoms might be connected to a health condition, which is why women don’t inform their healthcare providers about them. We at Flo believe that there's no such thing as an odd or unnecessary question for your doctor. We strive to support women in initiating these important conversations.”

Flo and Northwestern University Announce PCOS Research Collaboration

To continue spreading awareness about PCOS and boost the research in this area of women’s health, Flo is starting the research ‘Epidemiology and characteristics of PCOS’ in collaboration with Northwestern University.

Based on the results of Flo’s PCOS Awareness Сampaign, Tarun Jain, MD, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, together with Flo team commence the in-depth study of the subject. Its results will be published in 2020.