Florence Pugh Opens up About Having Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Many women in their late 20s and early 30s are freezing their eggs for what they call “insurance” in case they aren’t in a committed relationship and have to make fertility decisions later. But actress Florence Pugh did so for a different reason. She made the decision to freeze her eggs at age 27 when she discovered she had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis — conditions that could make it challenging for her to conceive naturally.

“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 28-year-old told Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi — aka,  “Dr. A” — and women’s advocate and influencer, Mary Alice Haney, on Dear Media’s SHE MD podcast.

“She [the doctor] 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?’ ”

Her egg count revealed to her doctor that she was dealing with PCOS and endometriosis. Both conditions can impact fertility. The doctor suggested Pugh 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,” she recalled.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of infertility in women. It’s a genetic and hormonal reproductive disorder that can cause irregular periods, acne, infertility, weight gain, excessive hair growth, stomach pain, and more, per the PCOS Awareness Month website.  

Pugh heard about PCOS previously, but admitted she “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.”

She added: “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. I think [for] lots of young women, that’s not really necessarily what you’re thinking of doing when you’re In your 20s.”