[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5580-S5581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 317--RECOGNIZING THE SERIOUSNESS OF POLYCYSTIC OVARY 
SYNDROME (PCOS) AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF SEPTEMBER 
                    2019 AS ``PCOS AWARENESS MONTH''

  Ms. WARREN (for herself, Mr. Perdue, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Isakson, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Booker, Mrs. 
Feinstein, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Peters, and Ms. Rosen) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 317

       Whereas polycystic ovary syndrome (in this preamble 
     referred to as ``PCOS'') is a common health problem among 
     women and girls involving a hormonal imbalance;
       Whereas there is no universal definition of PCOS, but 
     researchers estimate that between 5,000,000 and 10,000,000 
     women in the United States are affected by the condition;
       Whereas, according to a 2004 study, the annual burden of 
     PCOS in the United States is an estimated $4,360,000,000, and 
     this figure pertains to only the reproductive years of women 
     and does not consider the cost of other comorbidities, 
     including obstetrical complications, or the cost of metabolic 
     morbidities in post-menopause or adolescence;
       Whereas PCOS can affect girls at the onset of puberty and 
     throughout the remainder of their lives;
       Whereas the symptoms of PCOS include infertility, irregular 
     or absent menstrual periods, acne, weight gain, thinning of 
     scalp hair, excessive facial and body hair growth, numerous 
     small ovarian cysts, pelvic pain, and mental health problems;
       Whereas women with PCOS have higher rates of psychosocial 
     disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, 
     and eating disorders, and are at greater risk for suicide;
       Whereas adolescents with PCOS often are not diagnosed, and 
     many have metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance, which 
     can lead to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, 
     obstructive sleep apnea, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, 
     and endometrial cancer at a young adult age;
       Whereas PCOS is the most common cause of female 
     infertility;
       Whereas PCOS in pregnancy is associated with increased risk 
     of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced 
     hypertension, preterm delivery, cesarean delivery, 
     miscarriage, and fetal and infant death;
       Whereas women with PCOS are at increased risk of developing 
     high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, and heart 
     disease (the leading cause of death among women);
       Whereas women with PCOS have a more than 50 percent chance 
     of developing type 2 diabetes or prediabetes before the age 
     of 40;
       Whereas women with PCOS may be at a higher risk for breast 
     cancer and ovarian cancer, and their risk for developing 
     endometrial cancer is 3 times higher, than women who do not 
     have PCOS;
       Whereas research has found genetic evidence of a causal 
     link between depression and PCOS;
       Whereas research has indicated PCOS shares a genetic 
     architecture with metabolic traits, as evidenced by genetic 
     correlations between PCOS and obesity, fasting insulin, type 
     2 diabetes, lipid levels, and coronary artery disease;

[[Page S5581]]

       Whereas adolescents with PCOS are at markedly increased 
     risk for type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart 
     disease;
       Whereas PCOS negatively alters metabolic function 
     independent of, but exacerbated by, an increased body mass 
     index (BMI);
       Whereas an estimated 50 percent of women with PCOS are 
     undiagnosed, and many remain undiagnosed until they 
     experience fertility difficulties or develop type 2 diabetes 
     or other cardiometabolic disorders;
       Whereas the cause of PCOS is unknown, but researchers have 
     found strong links to a genetic predisposition and 
     significant insulin resistance, which affects up to 70 
     percent of women with PCOS; and
       Whereas there is no known cure for PCOS: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes polycystic ovary syndrome (in this 
     resolution referred to as ``PCOS'') as a serious disorder 
     that impacts many aspects of health, including 
     cardiometabolic, reproductive, and mental health, and quality 
     of life;
       (2) expresses support for the designation of September 2019 
     as ``PCOS Awareness Month'';
       (3) supports the goals and ideals of PCOS Awareness Month, 
     which are--
       (A) to increase awareness of, and education about, PCOS and 
     its connection to comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, 
     endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic 
     fatty liver disease, and mental health disorders, among the 
     general public, women, girls, and health care professionals;
       (B) to improve diagnosis and treatment of PCOS;
       (C) to disseminate information on diagnosis, treatment, and 
     management of PCOS, including prevention of comorbidities 
     such as type 2 diabetes, endometrial cancer, cardiovascular 
     disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and eating 
     disorders; and
       (D) to improve quality of life and outcomes for women and 
     girls with PCOS;
       (4) recognizes the need for further research, improved 
     treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS;
       (5) acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and 
     girls afflicted with PCOS in the United States;
       (6) urges medical researchers and health care professionals 
     to advance their understanding of PCOS to improve research, 
     diagnosis, and treatment of PCOS for women and girls; and
       (7) encourages States, territories, and localities to 
     support the goals and ideals of PCOS Awareness Month.

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