Did You Get Your Period?

EPILOGUE.

"Sit down for a while." Dr. Shalini had said, sliding the stool towards her and Shweta had slid onto it; looking at her mother and the other doctor's large kohl-rimmed eyes; trying to understand what was going on.

"You have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome." Dr. Shalini had said, her words sounding foreign to Shweta.

"It means that there are multiple tiny cysts in your ovaries that are blocking the release of the egg. And without an egg releasing, you will not get your period." Her mother had clarified.

"Well, is it bad?" Shweta had asked. "I mean, I know it's not good. But is it dangerous or something?"

"No, it's not." Dr. Shalini had clarified. "It's a very common phenomenon that affects a lot of young women. It's not immediately terminal but it is what we commonly call a lifestyle disorder."

"You mean like diabetes?" Shweta had asked and both her mother and Dr. Shalini had nodded.

"Yes. Exactly like that. PCOS happens because of insulin resistance; causing an increase in the male hormones in your body. You might have noticed increased hair growth and the outbreak of acne on your face and chest is also a result of this." Dr. Shalini had said.

"Yes, I have." Shweta had mused, remembering how she had been surprised by the presence of little, slightly coarse hairs on her chest and back. "How do I control it? As far as I know, diabetes has no cure, right?"

At that Seema and Shalini had both winced as they had nodded. "Yes, it has no cure. But its symptoms can be treated and you will have to work on regulating your period on your own. There is not much that science can do, other than provide you with period pills for customary bleeding if you don't get your period for about three months in a row."

"Can't I have pills regularly? I might be wrong but I'd heard that the pill helps control acne." Shweta had said, desperately not wanting the symptoms to worsen.

"No." Her mother had said firmly. "You are not going to go on the pill unnecessarily. The pill is going to have so many more side-effects that I don't want you to have to go through."

"Don't worry." Dr Shalini had added, seeing the alarmed look on Shweta's face. "A few changes in your diet, lifestyle and mental health and things will go back to normal. It might take some time but your mother is right, going on the pill is not going to give you much help. It might seem like your periods are regular but they will go back to being sporadic once you come off it."

"This means cutting out junk and processed sugar, fizzy drinks completely out of your diet. You'll also have to exercise; you've stopped your morning walks and you'll have to start that again." Seema had said and Shweta had nodded.

Then gently, Dr Shalini had added, "I take it that you're sexually active as well?"

"What?" Shweta had said, her face heating up and then had glared at her mother. "I'm not!"

"Whatever it is." Dr Shalini had said, "I say this as your doctor, I hope you are ensuring that your partner and you use protection. It might be tempting to use the pill, but the effects of the pills are far more problematic on the female body than using the condom. I hope you'll explain that to your partner as well."

Shweta had nearly exploded with embarrassment and shame, her nose flaring and not caring that she was in a professional environment had said, "It was just one time, for God's sake! I don't have a sexual partner and I don't ever want to discuss this with you."

"And I thought that this generation of Indians would be sex-positive." Dr Shalini had laughed and Seema had laughed along with her; the joke lost on Shweta who was bursting with rage.