Polycystic ovary syndrome
Diagnose with the 2023 international criteria after excluding mimics, screen for diabetes and cardiometabolic risk, treat symptoms with the COCP, metformin and anti-androgens, and use letrozole first for infertility.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- PCOS affects about 10 to 13% of reproductive-age women, and many are undiagnosed. Prevalence and metabolic risk are higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and in some Asian populations.
- Diagnosis uses the 2023 international guideline, led from Monash University: the Rotterdam framework, with AMH now accepted in place of ultrasound in adults. Exclude mimics first.
- It's a lifelong metabolic and reproductive condition: insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, dyslipidaemia, sleep apnoea, endometrial hyperplasia, depression and anxiety.
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Sources
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) Australian Product Information, sections 4.5 and 4.6 (oral contraceptives; stop at least 1 month before a planned pregnancy)AU/NZmedsinfo.com.au (sponsor Product Information), October 2026
- Ozempic (semaglutide) Australian Product Information, section 4.6 (stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy)AU/NZmedsinfo.com.au (sponsor Product Information), November 2026
- International evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome 2023AU/NZMonash University (Teede et al., co-published in Hum Reprod, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Eur J Endocrinol and Fertil Steril), 2023 (current; no later update found on the ESHRE guideline page, November 2026)
- Letrozole versus clomiphene for infertility in the polycystic ovary syndrome (PPCOS II)Legro RS et al., N Engl J Med 2014;371:119-29, 2014
- Endocrinology (Therapeutic Guidelines)AU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Ltd
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Turnstile bot check on sign-in and signed-out feedback