👩⚕️ Team – Rashmi (leader), SK Esha, Arpita Panchal, Kashish Tuteja, Kanupriya Verma, Anushka Saraswat, Aakansha Kaushik, Smriti Mishra, Shruti Sinha, Shreeya Srivastava, Navya Suresh
📅 Organised on – 14th August 2025
📍 Organised by – Students of Symbiosis Medical College for Women, Pune (SMCW)
🌸 Introduction
🎓 Making the Invisible Visible.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal disorders affecting women in India. However, in rural regions, stigma, lack of awareness, and limited access to healthcare lead to delayed diagnosis and prolonged silent suffering.
An UNSAID PANDEMIC was conceptualized to bring this hidden burden into the open. The initiative aimed to assess the psychological, educational, and health impact of PCOS on rural women while simultaneously creating awareness to break stigma and encourage early medical intervention.
💡 The Need for the Project
- Rural women with PCOS often face:
- Social taboos discouraging open discussion of menstrual and reproductive health
- Delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment
- Significant psychological distress and reduced quality of life
- The intersection of physical symptoms, mental health challenges, and social consequences—such as early marriage, educational disruption, and restricted autonomy—highlights the urgent need for integrated, community-based interventions.
🎯 Objectives
✅ To assess the psychological, educational, and health impacts of PCOS on rural women
✅ To identify barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and support
✅ To raise awareness, break stigma, and promote early intervention
🧠 Planning Phase
Theme Selected: PCOS – The Silent Pandemic Among Rural Women
Key Preparations:
- Identification of a rural community and procurement of necessary permissions
- Collaboration with local health workers and women’s groups
- Development of culturally appropriate tools (questionnaires, posters, handouts)
- Planning a cross-sectional survey of women aged 14–45 years
- Designing small group discussions and interactive workshops
Key Steps in the Planning Process:
- Community engagement and rapport building
- Data collection
- Awareness and support strategies
- Analysis of feedback and reporting
🔧 Execution Phase
Activities Conducted:
- Display of clear, informative posters educating women and adolescents about PCOS, its symptoms, and long-term implications
- Distribution of structured questionnaires to assess symptoms, awareness, and lived experiences
- Direct engagement with women and adolescents to collect meaningful insights
- Assessment of psychological, educational, and health impacts of PCOS
- Encouraging open dialogue to reduce stigma and promote early detection and intervention
📊 Impact & Measurable Outcomes
🌍 Social & Health Impact
- Increased awareness among rural women and adolescent girls regarding PCOS and its symptoms
- Improved understanding of the psychological and educational consequences of PCOS
- Identification of major barriers such as lack of awareness, stigma, and limited healthcare access
- Empowerment of women to seek timely medical advice and support
- Creation of a more open community environment for discussions on reproductive health
🌟 Challenges Faced
- Limited knowledge about PCOS among women and even some healthcare providers
- Family and community restrictions on women seeking diagnosis and treatment
- Stigma surrounding menstruation and symptoms such as hirsutism
- Fear of investigations, lack of privacy, and inadequate social support
Despite these challenges, sustained engagement and sensitive communication enabled meaningful participation and trust-building.
🔮 Future Scope & Long-Term Vision
- Conducting inclusive awareness programs involving women, families, and community leaders
- Training ASHAs, ANMs, and Anganwadi workers to identify at-risk women and facilitate counseling
- Providing flexible clinical investigation and consultation timings
- Developing culturally sensitive, user-friendly educational materials for consistent awareness
🙏 Acknowledgements
We express our sincere gratitude to:
- Dr. Sumita Ma’am and Priti Shah Ma’am for providing the opportunity to implement this project
- Our student mentor Sristi Garg for her guidance and support
- Our guide Dr. Sphurti Chate for her constant encouragement
- All team members for their cooperation, commitment, and teamwork, which made this project a success
🏁 Conclusion
An UNSAID PANDEMIC aims to make the invisible burden of PCOS visible by addressing stigma, improving awareness, and advocating early intervention. By initiating community-based assessment and dialogue, the project lays the foundation for sustained support, advocacy, and better reproductive health outcomes for rural women.
Because when women are heard, healthier communities are built.
