Flo Supports PCOS Awareness Month. Meet PCOS Health Assistant Available on Demand

In Support of PCOS Awareness Month, during September PCOS Health Assistant, the very first digital self-assessment tool from Flo, will be available on demand for all Flo App users in Health Insights section.

2 min read

Updated November 26, 2020

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PCOS is a health condition that impacts approximately one in 10 women of childbearing age and is the cause of 80% of anovulatory infertility cases, but it remains difficult to diagnose and is often underdiagnosed.

PCOS Health Assistant is developed in collaboration with Dr. Tahir Mahmood, Chair of the Standards of Care and Position statements group, European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Usually, PCOS Health Assistant interacts with women who have logged their period for at least six successive months. Flo’s algorithm detects a combination of symptoms that could indicate an increased risk of PCOS. Based on the results, it invites users to interact with the Health Assistant. If an increased risk is detected, it urges Flo users to visit their doctor. Finally, if users then indicate that their doctor diagnosed them with PCOS, Flo supports the user with follow-up information to help them manage the situation.

Since its soft launch at the end of 2018 PCOS Health Assistant has interacted with over a quarter million women whose health characteristics may indicate PCOS. More than 9,000 women who actively followed up on the Flo Health Assistant dialogue subsequently visited their doctors, and nearly 1,500 out of them were diagnosed with PCOS. In addition, over 1,400 women out of 9,000 were diagnosed with other conditions, such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts and thyroid disorders by their doctors.

With the aim of seamlessly elevating women’s health globally and raising awareness about PCOS through the month of September only, PCOS Health Assistant is available for all Flo users who use the app in English.

“Flo has a clearly defined thought process and futuristic approach to sharing knowledge - and knowledge is power,” said Dr. Tahir Mahmood. “Flo’s interactive approach to assessing data prospectively can help to advise women on what they should be doing to better control their fertility, as well as certain medical conditions. Flo Health Assistant is user-friendly and I'm very pleased to be part of the development process, which is helping share women’s health knowledge for everyday use. All women can benefit from it.”