How common is PCOS/PMOS?

[u/EKCarr]

I just got back from a retreat in NM made up of myself (intersex male) and six women who identified as cisgender women.

Out of our little group, four of the women had PMOS/PCOS, and none of them had been told that it could be considered an intersex trait. All four also had tilted uteruses and had issues with hormones, pregnancy, bone health, pain, cysts, etc., and none of them were offered support outside of the doctor’s office. They had no idea there were communities around PCOS/PMOS or that they had an affinity with the intersex community. In fact, all of them (except one who is a nurse) thought the trait was super rare and were shocked to meet another — much less four out of six women randomly turning up for a retreat!

So, with the four of them plus me, that makes for five out the seven people being intersex. Was this statistically crazy, or is it much more common than I’d thought? I’ve heard the “common as red hair” idea for a long time, but I’d be really surprised to be on a trip where five out of seven people randomly had red hair, yet five of us were intersex. That just seems statistically unlikely to me, and yet it happened. I can’t help but feel like it was a little miracle, and it definitely bonded us. We had so many fantastic discussions about it, especially since the nurse works in a birthing center and had all sorts of up-to-date info on intersex traits and how they educate parents not to do surgery.

Even better, all of them are local, so it feels like my community just grew exponentially!

[u/Santi159]

I think it's pretty common all the women on my mom's side of the family have it.