Prevalence of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Unselected Black and White Women of the Southeastern United States: A Prospective Study

In a 1998 study involving 369 women from the southeastern United States, researchers found that the prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) was 4.0% overall, with no significant difference between Black (3.4%) and White (4.7%) women. The study used a comprehensive definition of PCOS, including oligoovulation, clinical hyperandrogenism and/or hyperandrogenemia, and the exclusion of other disorders. Hirsutism, measured by a modified Ferriman-Gallwey score, was present in 2-8% of the women, again with no significant racial differences. The findings suggest that PCOS is a common reproductive endocrinological disorder among women, with its prevalence potentially ranging from 3.5% to 11.2% depending on the diagnostic criteria used.