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Confused about PCOS and endometriosis? You’re not alone—and you might’ve been misdiagnosed. In this essential episode, Dr. Sadikah Behbehani, a double-fellowship trained reproductive endocrinologist and minimally invasive surgeon, sets the record straight.
She breaks down the real differences between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, explains how they can coexist without causing each other, and outlines the actual diagnostic criteria for PCOS. This conversation is critical for teens, adults, and parents trying to make sense of irregular periods, hormonal changes, or conflicting diagnoses.
What you’ll learn:
• Why PCOS and endometriosis are often confused but are very different
• How misdiagnosis happens—and how to avoid it
• What the Rotterdam criteria are, and why they matter
• Why polycystic-appearing ovaries alone are not enough for a PCOS diagnosis
• The truth about irregular cycles in teens and when to be concerned
• When PCOS should be diagnosed—and when it shouldn’t
• How endometriosis and PCOS can impact fertility and treatment
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or searching for answers after years of symptoms, this episode will give you science-backed clarity and validation.
Listen now to get empowered with accurate information and practical next steps.
Have a question for a future episode? Submit it through the link in the description, email contact@endobattery.com, or visit http://www.endobattery.com/contact.
#PCOS #Endometriosis #HormonalHealth #PCOSAwareness #EndometriosisAwareness #Misdiagnosis #RotterdamCriteria #WomenHealthPodcast #ChronicIllness #PelvicPain #PCOSInTeens #DrBehbehani #EndoBatteryPodcast
Website endobattery.com
Introduction to Quick Connect
Speaker 1
0:03
Life
moves
fast
and
so
should
the
answers
to
your
biggest
questions
.
Welcome
to
EndoBattery's
Quick
Connect
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,
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experts
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five
minutes
you
get
the
knowledge
you
need
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No
long
episodes
,
no
extra
time
needed
,
and
just
remember
expert
opinions
shared
here
are
for
general
information
and
not
for
personalized
medical
advice
.
Always
consult
your
provider
for
your
case-specific
guidance
.
Got
a
question
?
Send
it
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.
I'm
your
host
,
alana
,
and
it's
time
to
connect
Dr. Bebehani's Expert Background
Speaker 1
0:51
time
to
connect
.
Speaker 1
0:51
Today
I'm
excited
to
have
Dr
Sadiqa
Bebehani
,
a
double
fellowship-trained
OBGYN
specializing
in
reproductive
endocrinology
and
infertility
,
as
well
as
minimally
invasive
gynecological
surgery
.
Dr
Bebehani
completed
a
second
fellowship
at
the
prestigious
Mayo
Clinic
,
where
she
mastered
complex
pelvic
surgery
using
both
laparoscopy
and
robotics
.
As
an
associate
professor
at
the
University
of
California
Riverside
School
of
Medicine
,
she
is
also
deeply
involved
in
medical
research
and
publications
.
With
her
rare
combination
of
training
in
surgery
and
infertility
,
dr
Babiani
is
uniquely
equipped
to
treat
complex
gynecologic
conditions
such
as
endometriosis
and
fibroids
that
affect
fertility
.
Let's
jump
in
and
be
empowered
PCOS and Endometriosis Connection Explained
Speaker 1
1:29
with
knowledge
.
There
tends
to
be
a
lot
of
crossover
between
endometriosis
and
PCOS
.
Can
you
tell
us
a
little
bit
more
about
the
PCOS
piece
of
it
and
what
it
is
,
how
it
kind
of
responds
in
the
body
,
and
just
give
us
that
overview
?
Speaker 2
1:46
Yes
,
I'm
glad
that
you
bring
this
up
because
this
is
a
question
we
get
asked
often
in
clinical
practice
is
how
are
endometriosis
and
PCOS
related
?
We
have
to
remember
that
endometriosis
occurs
in
about
15%
of
the
population
.
So
,
not
looking
at
pelvic
pain
or
fertility
patients
,
just
in
the
general
population
,
about
15%
of
women
will
have
endometriosis
and
5%
to
15%
of
the
population
will
have
PCOS
.
So
they
may
not
necessarily
be
caused
by
the
same
cause
,
like
in
utero
,
or
the
same
manifestation
that
created
the
disease
.
But
because
they
are
both
prevalent
and
common
,
it
is
definitely
possible
for
women
to
have
both
endometriosis
and
PCOS
.
So
I
often
get
asked
is
the
endo
causing
PCOS
?
Is
the
PCOS
causing
endo
?
No
,
there
are
no
studies
to
show
that
one
causes
the
other
.
It's
just
because
they're
both
prevalent
.
It
is
absolutely
possible
for
both
diseases
to
co-occur
in
someone
.
Now
,
what
is
PCOS
?
You
asked
me
what
PCOS
was
.
Pcos
,
for
those
of
you
who
don't
know
,
stands
for
polycystic
ovarian
syndrome
and
it
is
often
misdiagnosed
.
So
a
large
proportion
of
women
will
come
see
me
and
say
oh
well
,
my
doctor
diagnosed
me
with
PCOS
5
,
10
,
15
years
ago
.
The
first
question
I
ask
them
is
how
was
the
diagnosis
established
?
And
most
of
the
time
they're
not
able
to
provide
the
evidence
or
the
results
that
led
to
the
diagnosis
of
PCOS
.
So
PCOS
is
often
misdiagnosed
and
sometimes
is
overdiagnosed
.
Speaker 2
3:17
But
when
we
are
correctly
diagnosing
PCOS
we
diagnose
it
based
Rotterdam Criteria for PCOS Diagnosis
Speaker 2
3:22
on
a
criteria
called
the
Rotterdam
criteria
.
So
that's
the
scientific
way
of
diagnosing
PCOS
.
What
the
Rotterdam
criteria
looks
at
is
to
see
if
women
have
irregular
periods
or
no
periods
.
So
that's
one
of
the
criteria
.
Number
two
is
elevated
male-type
hormones
called
androgens
testosterone
,
dhea
,
17-hydroxyprogesterone
.
Those
fall
in
the
category
of
androgens
or
clinical
findings
of
elevated
androgens
,
like
having
increased
facial
hair
,
acne
,
sometimes
male
pattern
baldness
.
Those
are
all
called
clinical
findings
of
elevated
androgens
or
elevated
male-type
hormones
.
And
then
number
three
is
the
appearance
of
polycystic
ovaries
on
ultrasound
.
So
you
need
two
out
of
those
three
things
to
be
diagnosed
with
PCOS
,
and
the
reason
why
this
is
important
is
because
many
women
will
have
an
ultrasound
to
show
multiple
follicles
or
cysts
on
their
ovaries
and
be
automatically
told
that
they
have
PCOS
.
Speaker 2
4:22
You
cannot
diagnose
PCOS
based
on
just
one
of
the
three
things
.
You
cannot
just
have
polycystic
appearing
ovaries
and
have
PCOS
.
You
need
to
have
polycystic
appearing
ovaries
plus
one
of
the
other
two
things
on
the
criteria
,
which
are
either
irregular
periods
or
absent
periods
or
clinical
or
lab
findings
of
elevated
androgens
.
So
you
need
two
out
of
three
to
diagnose
PCOS
.
And
then
you
can't
be
really
young
and
diagnose
PCOS
.
Speaker 2
4:48
You
need
to
wait
a
certain
number
of
years
after
you
start
your
period
.
So
you
can't
have
a
15-year-old
who
started
her
periods
two
years
ago
,
see
a
GYN
and
be
told
she
has
PCOS
.
She's
too
young
to
be
diagnosed
with
PCOS
.
You
need
at
least
six
to
eight
years
of
regular
menstrual
cycle
.
So
from
the
start
of
the
first
period
we
wait
six
to
eight
years
before
you
re-evaluate
the
situation
to
see
if
they
have
PCOS
or
not
,
because
it
takes
this
long
for
the
brain
to
stimulate
the
ovaries
to
produce
hormones
on
a
regular
basis
.
So
it's
very
common
for
girls
in
the
first
six
to
eight
years
of
starting
a
period
to
have
irregular
periods
,
elevated
androgens
and
polycystic
appearing
ovaries
on
ultrasound
.
But
they
will
not
have
PCOS
if
you
just
give
them
time
to
regulate
their
own
hormones
.
So
that's
another
important
thing
to
remember
is
you
need
to
give
your
body
time
to
adjust
to
having
periods
before
you're
able
to
diagnose
PCOS
.
Episode Wrap-Up
Speaker 1
5:46
To
hear
more
about
the
connection
of
endometriosis
and
PCOS
from
Dr
Bebehani
,
check
out
episode
91
.
That's
a
wrap
for
this
Quick
Connect
.
I
hope
today's
insights
helped
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more
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