On Tuesday, Keke Palmer took to Instagram and opened up about her journey with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. The 27-year-old discussed how her PCOS journey hasn’t been easy, and how her acne has kept her up at night. She also discussed doing some research that ultimately supported her in getting the proper treatment.
In part, Keke wrote, “Hey you guys, for some of you this may be TMI, but for me my platform has always been used for things much greater than me. PolyCystic Ovarian syndrome has been attacking me from the inside out my entire life and I had no idea.” Keke continued, “My acne has been so bad that people in my field offered to pay for me to get it fixed. I tried EVERYTHING. I did Accutane TWICE. People say drink water, have a better diet, but I did all that, I ate all the ‘right’ things, my blood tests were fine.”
After doing research, she understood what was happening with her body, “But it took ME taking a personal look into my family that has a history of diabetes and obesity, to understand what was ACTUALLY happening with me. And unfortunately doctors are people and if you don’t ‘look the part’ they may not think that’s your problem. They may not even suggest it if you ‘look healthy’ whatever that means! I came to a doctor in tears once and all they offered was a measles vaccine… Exactly.”
The actress ended with loving herself and still being confident, “The least harmful thing PCOS can bring is acne. To all the people struggling with this please know you’re not alone and that you are still so fucking fine! MY ACNE AINT NEVER STOPPED ME. But we don’t have accept this. Now I can really help KEKE! And I love her so it’s ON.”
Keke ended with, “Pray for me on this journey and I will pray for you too. I’m not afraid to show myself to the world and you shouldn’t be either.”
According to Mayo Clinic, PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges.
PCOS also affects Black women and other women of color differently. According to Endocrine Web, PCOS affects women of color more frequently and severely than white women. According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. PCOS is associated with metabolic syndrome. Because Black and Latinx people have a higher morbidity and mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, “Understanding any racial and ethnic differences in metabolic syndrome among women with polycystic ovarian syndrome is important for prevention strategies.”
Please keep Keke and women who suffer from PCOS in your prayers.
