If you have PCOS and you're trying to conceive, the statistics can feel both validating and terrifying in equal measure. Around 70–80% of women with PCOS experience some form of infertility — defined as being unable to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex [Balen et al., 2016]. That number is real, and if you're sitting with it right now, I want you to know: you're not imagining how hard this feels.

If you've been tracking your cycle and something feels off — periods that show up when they feel like it, ovulation tests that never seem to peak, or months of trying to conceive without success — anovulation might be worth understanding properly.