title: "It's not very feminine to have a mustache": Experiences of Danish women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: This article explores women's lived experiences with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the basis of semistructured interviews with 21 Danish women. It provides insights about the problems that they experienced and how they coped with PCOS. The interviews revealed that they were highly influenced by society's femininity norms. Many of them perceived their bodies as "different" because of the symptoms of PCOS, namely, hirsutism. They used different strategies to live up to body ideals and cope with the symptoms. However, hirsutism had a decisive negative influence on the women's everyday lives, particularly with regard to male partners and sexual relations.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, Faculty of Science , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Gertrud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, Faculty of Science , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rømer
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept; D012928:Social Desirability; D013240:Stereotyping; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology