The ‘We Live in Time’ star, 28, has polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis, both of which can impact fertility
Florence Pugh shared that she decided to freeze her eggs at age 27 when she discovered she had PCOS and endometriosis — conditions that could make it challenging for her to conceive later in life.
“I had this sudden feeling that I should go and get everything checked. I'd had a few weird dreams, I think my body was telling me,” the We Live in Time star, now 28, told Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi — aka, “Dr. A” — and women’s advocate and influencer, Mary Alice Haney, on Dear Media’s SHE MD podcast.
Pugh, who met with Dr. A, said, “She asked if I’d ever had an egg count done and I was like, “No what do you mean? I'm so young. Why do I need an egg count?' ”
After conducting her egg count, Dr. A diagnosed the Thunderbolts star with PCOS and endometriosis — conditions that can impact fertility — and suggested she freeze her eggs.
“It was just so bizarre because my family are baby-making machines. My mom had babies into her forties. My gran had babies throughout … And then of course, I learned completely different information, at age 27, that I need to get my eggs out, and do it quickly, which was just a bit of a mind-boggling realization, and one that I'm really lucky and glad that I found out when I did because I've been wanting kids since I was a child.”
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of infertility in women. The genetic, hormonal, metabolic and reproductive disorder can cause irregular periods, acne, infertility, weight gain and excessive hair growth, according to the PCOS Awareness Month website.
Endometriosis can also cause fertility issues, the Cleveland Clinic says. The condition “causes tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus to grow in other places where it doesn’t belong. It can cause pelvic pain and heavy periods, as well as fertility issues.”
Pugh said she’d heard of PCOS but “didn't think that it was something that is common. I really just thought that it was something that you'd feel and that you'd know you had and that it wasn't really a worry.”
“And then of course you find out you do have it, and you realize you have to change your lifestyle, you have to be proactive and think ahead into the future,” the Academy Award nominee said. “I think [for] lots of young women, that's not really necessarily what you're thinking of doing when you're In your 20s.”
Pugh shared that she did have some symptoms like “acne …hair that shouldn't be in certain places,” but explained, “I just thought that was part of being a woman, and also living a maybe slightly stressful life. I didn't think constant weight fluctuation would also be a part of it.”
The Oppenheimer star stressed the importance of talking about PCOS and fertility issues, because “if you have a dream of maybe one day being a mum, these things are so important, much like learning how to find lumps in your breast.”
“It wouldn't be that hard to educate everybody on this when you're at school,” Pugh said. “It's something that will be the defining factor of whether you can have children or not.”
New episodes of Dear Media's SHE MD podcast drop Thursdays.
The Quran - Chapter Al-Infitar : 13 - 16
Indeed, the virtuous will be in bliss,
and the wicked will be in Hell,
burning in it on Judgment Day,
and they will have no escape from it.
