Background: PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects women's well-being. It is a chronic ailment without a cure, and poses a significant threat to women's health, with many going women untreated.
Aims: Many women in Bangladesh lack knowledge about PCOS, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. This gap hinders the understanding of coping strategies, treatment options, and lifestyle improvements related to this condition.
Methods: In total, 426 participants were included in this mixed methods study, and data were collected via a mixed-methods approach. A standard approach was used for the assessment of among Bangladeshi people’s knowledge about PCOS signs, and symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options, and impacts on health. The prevalence of diagnostic tests among people and the extent to which women are underdiagnosed were also determined.
Results: A positive PCOS status had a significantly negative impact on mental health conditions. The knowledge levels about PCOS among participants were low (63.7%), moderate (21.6%), or high (14.7%). We found significant associations between knowledge level and age, education, occupation, place of residence, screening practices, and PCOS status (p-value <0.05). Notably, 63.4% of women in Bangladesh remain undiagnosed and have a symptomatic appearance.
Conclusion: A significant number of women have limited knowledge about PCOS. Moreover, these studies failed to assess PCOS status, even though the prevalence of PCOS is more than thirty percent. Hence, it is important to arrange a health education initiative aimed at educating and encouraging women to actively engage in the diagnostic process to prevent PCOS complications.