PCOS & Autism
The myriad of common medical conditions in Autistic girls and women. Could they cause or impact upon Gender Dysphoria or Gender Identity? Part 1 of 2
1 in 44 children are born with Autism (CDC). The male to female ratio is 2:1 to 1:2, depending on who you talk to and/or what research you read. Remember, research takes years to trickle down to clinical practice.
I wrote about the sex differences and the female Autistic profile in 2013, and in my 2014 and 2015 books, available on Amazon USA
The are ‘health’ & or mental health problems. Self-harm, eating disorders, food issues, anxiety, depression, mental health issues, social communication issues and/or trauma are often presenting problems. What often isn’t differentiate In assessment is other co-existing conditions, such as Alexythymia, Synaesthsia, Proprioception, Interoception, school, giftedness, learning disabilities, executive function challenges, academic and work accomodations.
What hasn’t been discussed much much is the common medical issues professionals have been seeing in their clinics for years. The teenage years and common medical conditions.
For those of us who have Autism or neurodevelopmental clinics, this research comes as no surprise. We have been aware of the common medical conditions as we worked on a daily basis with this cohort.
What untrained health professionals, the general public, parents, family members or undiagnosed/diagnosed Autistic females may not know is there are serious common medical conditions associated with Autism.
Has anyone asked the question: Do any of these common medical conditions have anything to do with or impact upon Gender Dysphoria? This is what happens when extremists shut down conversation, discussion, debate and communication. These questions are not allowed to be asked or explored. They must be asked and addressed.
Imagine a young teen (diagnosed or undiagnosed) who is experiencing Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and she doesn’t know it. Neither do her parents. They think it’s ‘normal’ menstrual teen issues. They don’t even know she is Autistic and neither does she. She experiences her menstrual period in the extreme. She hates change. She hates her changing body, which she can’t control. The physical pain, the blood and the cysts on her ovaries are a medical condition that needs treatment. They are painful as they erupt on her ovaries. She wants to get out if her body. Intrained professional don’t screen or assess her Autism. None of her health professionals are trained in Autism or the commonly associated medical conditions. PCOS is not often identified until years later, when the females are adults.
Sex-steroids (testosterone) are thought to be one biological factor associated with Autism. Conditions related to steroid hormone function are more frequent in Autistic females. The following list are important medical conditions to address, rule-out or confirm in undiagnosed, self-diagnosed or diagnosed teenagers and adult females:
BMI and medically associated issues
Metabolic and vascular health (obesity, epilepsy, autoimmune disorders
Wider endocrine dysfunction with mothers is autistic children showing higher rates of gestational diabetes and PCOS. PCOS is associated with significant hormonal disruptions.
Immunity related diagnoses
Reproductive system diagnoses
Prediabetes symptoms
Hyperandrogenism symptoms
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Severe Acne (sex-steroid imbalance symptom)
Amenorrhea
Sex hormone imbalances
PMS/PMDD
Irregular puberty onset
Irregular menstrual symptoms: unusually painful periods, increased and excessive bleeding, blood clots, menstrual consistency, atypical menstrual length & excessive menstruation.
Conditions related to steroid hormones function are more frequent in Autistic female and also correlate with autistic traits.
Five of the nine predictors were identified to Autistic females.
The research paper went so far as to recommend that doctors who become aware of these healthcare conditions should screen for Autism.
Stay tuned for Part 2 - How might these medical conditions affect, play a factor or influence gender Dysphoria or Gender Identity Disorder in Neurodevelopmental Conditions? In particular, Autistic females?
I hope this helps you understand some possible medical conditions that may have been consider as self -hatred and/or Gender Dysphoria.
Reference: Medical symptoms and conditions in autistic women
Tslil Simantov*, Alexa Pohl*, Alexandros Tsompanidis, Elizabeth Weir, Michael V Lombardo, Amber Ruigrok, Paula Smith, Carrie Allison, Simon Baron-Cohen, Florina Uzefovsky
First Published June 29, 2021, SAGE
2022 Feb;26(2):373-388. PUBMED
doi: 10.1177/13623613211022091.Epub 2021 Jun 29.
Authors
Tslil Simantov 1, Alexa Pohl 2, Alexandros Tsompanidis 2, Elizabeth Weir 2, Michael V Lombardo 2 3, Amber Ruigrok 2, Paula Smith 2, Carrie Allison 2, Simon Baron-Cohen 2, Florina Uzefovsky 1
Affiliations
1Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
2University of Cambridge, UK.
3Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy.
PMID: 34184558
PMCID: PMC8814970
Looking forward to part 2!