The Iyanola Wombmanhood Group is helping shift the conversation on women’s health in Saint Lucia, creating spaces where conditions long endured in silence can be spoken about openly.
On September 17, the group hosted a Cyster Circle, bringing together women living with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) to share their stories, challenges, and strategies for coping with the condition.
PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age. It is characterised by excess androgen (male hormone) levels, ovarian cysts, and irregular periods, often leading to a range of symptoms that affected women manage on a daily basis.
“I wish I knew I wasn’t alone,” said panellist Kimmette Robertson, vice president of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Endometriosis, Adenomyosis and PCOS Inc. She reflected on the isolation she felt in her early days navigating PCOS symptoms.
The panel also featured school guidance counsellor Twyla Gilbert and sports massage therapist Andrea George, with media consultant Tresha Lionel serving as moderator.
The women spoke candidly about the daily realities of PCOS, describing symptoms such as insomnia, weight fluctuations, fatigue, irregular periods, brain fog, male-pattern hair growth, and the heightened risk of diabetes and hypertension. They noted how PCOS is often dismissed as “just missed periods,” minimising its seriousness and highlighting the need for education and sensitisation, even within families.
Yet amid the challenges, participants also shared moments of triumph. Lifestyle adjustments, especially dietary changes, were cited as helping ease symptoms and restore a sense of control.
“It’s allowing yourself grace and care… that’s something I’d tell my younger self,” George advised.
The Cyster Circle was part of Iyanola Wombmanhood’s ongoing observance of PCOS Awareness Month, celebrated globally in September. The organisation’s next event, From Hormones to Health: Exploring PCOS-Linked Conditions, will feature a panel of experts, including:
Brenda Roach – Mental health effects of PCOS
Dr John Barker – The link between PCOS and endometrial cancer
Charlotte Byrne – PCOS and its impact on fertility
Dr Azizi Popo-Hippolyte – Sleep-related conditions and PCOS
Interested parties can register here.
