When Nigerian media personality Stephanie Coker Aderinokun first faced the realities of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), recently renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), she was caught in a battle for her life and well-being. In a candid interview about her PMOS journey, Coker described how the condition affected her physically, emotionally, and socially. “I didn’t have a period for a whole year… it was life-threatening,” she said. Later, after her period restarted, she tried to get pregnant via IVF. She recalls contemplating suicide after a failed cycle.

PMOS is a condition in which hormonal imbalances affect how the ovaries function, often leading to irregular periods and difficulties with ovulation and fertility. Yet its impact extends well beyond these physical symptoms. In Nigeria and other parts of the world where womanhood is often tightly bound with fertility and family expectations, the condition collides with cultural pressures in ways that shape how it is experienced, discussed, and treated. Conversations about reproductive health are often private, medical jargon is unhelpful, and many women report doctors dismissing symptoms, and sometimes even serious complications.

Globally, the World Health Organizationestimates that PMOS affects 6–13 percent of reproductive-aged women, with up to 70 percent remaining undiagnosed. However, how people encounter and…