PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association is the leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient support and advocacy organization globally that is advancing the cause for people with PCOS serving over 55,000 members.
Our Short-Term Vision:
PCOS is treated as a public health priority.
Our Long-Term Vision
We realize a cure for PCO
Our Mission
Raise public awareness about PCOS and help women with the condition overcome their symptoms and reduce their risk for life-threatening related conditions such as cancer, diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Board Members
View the PCOS Challenge Executive, Medical/Scientific, and Health Advisory Board Members
PCOS Advocacy
PCOS Challenge is the leading organization advocating for and shaping public policy with regard to women and girls impacted by polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS Challenge works with the U.S. Congress, federal and local government agencies to shape public policy and legislation affecting women and girls with polycystic ovary syndrome. Our efforts help improve and expand access to care and increase funding for PCOS research. LEARN MORE
PCOS Challenge Provides Support for Women with PCOS Through:
- PCOS Challenge Nonprofit Organization Web Site – PCOSChallenge.org
- PCOS Challenge Online Support Network – PCOSChallenge.com
- PCOS Challenge Events
- PCOS Grants
- PCOS Challenge television show
- PCOS Challenge radio show
- PCOS Challenge® Expert Series – PCOSChallenge.net
- Local area support groups
- Health screenings
Because of individuals like you, we now touch the lives of tens-of-thousands of women with PCOS and their supporters each year through cable television and radio programming, online and offline support groups, grants, research, education, awareness and advocacy initiatives. Since our beginning, we’ve helped many women find answers that helped them overcome their struggles with infertility, weight gain, anxiety and depression and reduce their risk for life-threatening related conditions
Please Donate to PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association
When you make a donation or become a Hope for PCOS monthly giver, you can take comfort in knowing that your regular contributions are constantly working, day in and day out, to improve the lives of women with PCOS through:
- Vital online and community programs
- National educational and awareness initiatives
- Cable television and radio programming reaching millions of households
Your contribution has a direct impact on the lives of women with PCOS.
If you have questions about PCOS Challenge programs and ways that you can support our efforts, please contact us.
Important Facts and Research Regarding PCOS1
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- PCOS is a complex hormonal and reproductive disorder that affects up to 15% of women in the United States and hundreds of millions of women globally.
- PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women.
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- Women with PCOS constitute the largest group of women at risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
- PCOS is a precursor for other serious conditions including cancer and obesity.
- Suicide attempts are up to seven times more common in women with PCOS than other women.
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- Pre-teens and teens can develop PCOS. Earlier diagnosis can give them the opportunity to better manage the emotional, internal, physical effects of PCOS. It can also help them prevent the onset of more serious illnesses related to PCOS.
- Despite affecting millions women and the serious health consequences, PCOS is unknown to most people and a staggering 50% of the women living with PCOS are estimated to still be undiagnosed.
Meet the PCOS Challenge Executive Director
Sasha Ottey, MHA, MT (ASCP) is Founder and Executive Director of PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association. Sasha started the organization after she was diagnosed with PCOS and experienced great dissatisfaction with the availability of support resources for women with the condition.
Since its programs started 2009, PCOS Challenge has quickly grown to over 50,000 members and has helped many women overcome their struggles with infertility, weight gain, anxiety and depression and reduce their risk for numerous life-threatening related diseases. PCOS Challenge is innovative in its multimedia approach to support. It produces the national award winning cable television show PCOS Challenge, a health series which follows ten women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome as they have their lives transformed by naturopathic and allopathic medical experts and coaches. Its website, PCOSChallenge.com has been called the “Facebook for women with PCOS” by its members, and its popular PCOS Challenge radio show features internationally recognized PCOS experts, New York Times best-selling authors and real life stories from women with PCOS. The organization also provides offline support networks, webinars and other resources and has developed one of the world’s largest multimedia bodies of educational content dedicated to PCOS.
As Executive Director of PCOS Challenge, Sasha built a coalition of over 70 major national and international health organizations and led the first successful legislative advocacy effort in the U.S. Congress to recognize the seriousness of PCOS, the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and for a cure for PCOS and to designate September as PCOS Awareness Month. Sasha also created the PCOS Awareness Symposium, the largest event globally dedicated to polycystic ovary syndrome, which has educated thousands of patients and healthcare professionals about PCOS since 2013. In 2018, Sasha helped organize the first International Conference on PCOS in India for both patients and healthcare providers.
Sasha is a Clinical and Research Microbiologist with a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science from Howard University and a Master’s in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. Prior to founding PCOS Challenge, Sasha was a contract research microbiologist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).