N E E D T O K N O W
Lori Harvey reveals she lived over a decade with undiagnosed PCOS and endometriosis.
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The model recalls being repeatedly told by doctors: “You’re fine.”
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Pain was so severe she once considered going to the ER but was dismissed with Tylenol.
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Diagnosis by Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi “changed her life,” giving her answers and treatment.
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Harvey now feels “at home in my body for the first time.”
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She urges women to advocate for themselves when doctors dismiss symptoms.
Lori Harvey Speaks Out: A Candid Look at Her Years-Long Health Battle with PCOS & Endometriosis
Lori Harvey, the 28-year-old model and actress, just opened up in a way that’s turning heads—and hearts—across the country. In a powerful, raw conversation on the SheMD podcast, co-hosted by Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney, Harvey revealed she spent over a decade living with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and endometriosis—undiagnosed, misunderstood, and often dismissed. What she shares today is more than a celebrity confession. It’s a clarion call for women’s health, especially for those who feel invisible.
“I felt gaslit by the system”
Harvey starts her story in her teens. From around age 16, she noticed something was off. Her body wasn’t responding like she expected. Weight was fluctuating, her skin was breaking out, and menstrual cramps—excruciating ones—were becoming a monthly ordeal. She tried to get answers, but too often she was told, “You’re fine.”
“I’ve been so frustrated. I’ve been going to my gynecologist because I’ve just been feeling like something’s off in my body,” Harvey said in the podcast. “But every time I go to her, she’s like, ‘You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine. Nothing’s wrong.’ And I was like, ‘But I don’t feel fine. I feel like something is just off.’”
The dismissal wasn’t just frustrating—it was heartbreaking. Harvey described moments when pain was so severe she considered going to the hospital, but instead she was often given over-the-counter painkillers or reassurances that her symptoms were “normal.”
“I used to have the most excruciating periods of my life … I’m taking 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen. Nothing is working,” she said. “They’d be like, ‘Oh, just take some Tylenol, you’ll be fine.’ And I’m like, ‘There’s no way this is normal.’”
Diagnosis & Relief: When Things Changed
Harvey’s turning point came when she was referred to Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi. In that very first meeting, Aliabadi didn’t just listen — she recognized what was wrong. Harvey was diagnosed with both PCOS and endometriosis. Aliabadi’s words carried weight because they validated many of the doubts Harvey had carried for years.
“Yeah, babe, you’re right. It was not normal and I’m so sorry that you’ve just been living with this,” Harvey recalls Dr. Aliabadi telling her. “So she literally changed my life.”
After diagnosis came treatment. Harvey was put on Metformin, a medication typically used to treat insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes that can also help manage PCOS symptoms. Slowly but surely, the fog of uncertainty and physical discomfort began to lift. Her hormones stabilized, the weight swings and alarming gains/losses eased, and living in her body felt finally possible.
“I feel good in my body, finally, for once,” she said. “I’ve never felt more at home in my body than I do now.”
A Larger Conversation: Stigma, Bias & Women’s Health
Harvey didn’t just share her path—she used it to shine a light on systemic issues. Doctors dismissing women’s pain. Friends suffering in silence. Janes whose concerns are gaslit rather than addressed.
“So many of my friends struggle with PCOS, and it’s something that none of us were educated on, and we all kind of were just suffering in silence because we didn’t know what it was,” she said.
Dr. Aliabadi, speaking with Harvey, noted that when someone as visible as Lori Harvey struggles to get taken seriously, countless others have far less access to advocacy.
“If you cannot get someone to listen to you and diagnose you correctly, do you think other women have a chance? They don’t.”
Harvey’s message is clear: these conditions are not rare, and the suffering is often invisible. PCOS affects roughly 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. Endometriosis, similarly, can be hidden, misdiagnosed, or ignored. Delayed diagnoses exacerbate the physical and emotional toll.
What She’s Doing Now—and What We Can Learn
Since diagnosis, Harvey has been on a mission: not only to heal herself, but to help others. She’s educating herself, her friends, her family. She’s using her public platform to speak up, to normalize conversations that many find uncomfortable.
Here are some lessons from her journey:
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Trust your body and advocate for yourself. If you sense something isn’t right, keep pushing. Change doctors if needed.
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Find the right professional. A doctor who listens, believes you, and validates your experience can be life-changing.
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Educate. Read up on PCOS, endometriosis, hormonal health. Many people suffer because they simply don’t know the signs.
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Support community. Sharing experiences helps break isolation. It also helps fight stigma.
Why This Matters—Especially Now
Harvey’s disclosure comes at a moment when women’s health is increasingly in the spotlight—from debates about access, to shocking statistics about how long it often takes for women to get properly diagnosed. Her story adds a powerful voice to those pushing for better education, better medical protocols, and better outcomes.
For many, her honesty will mean relief, solidarity, hope—and perhaps, the courage to seek care. As Harvey said,
“Everybody should be able to feel at home in their body.”
Lori Harvey’s journey reminds us how much pain is endured quietly—and how important it is to speak up. With her openness, she’s not only reclaiming her own health, but giving permission to others to do the same. In doing so, she reveals something essential: that for many women, silence is the real symptom we need to treat.
Quick PCOS & Endometriosis Facts
| Condition | What It Is | Common Symptoms | Why It’s Missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCOS | Hormonal disorder affecting ovaries | Irregular periods, acne, weight gain/loss, excess hair, infertility | Symptoms overlap with other issues; lack of awareness |
| Endometriosis | Tissue similar to uterine lining grows outside uterus | Severe cramps, chronic pain, heavy or irregular periods, fertility issues | Pain normalized; imaging & biopsies needed; cost & access barriers |
Harvey’s story is one of frustration, courage, and finally, relief. But it’s also a wake-up call—for the medical community, for friends and family, and for everyone who thinks “just another painful period” is something to grin and bear. It’s not. And it’s time that understanding joined the conversation.
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