We’re lucky to live in a day and age when stigmas around reproductive health issues are fading and starting to be spoken about more openly. Long-gone are the days when we couldn’t speak openly about menstruation (thank god for that), and more recently, reproductive topics like PCOS, endometriosis, and infertility have begun to enter the mainstream.
Celebrities have played a role in shifting reproductive health conversations from something whispered about to something discussed openly. It’s validating and powerful to see public figures share their diagnoses, fertility struggles, or decisions about egg freezing. It can also reveal massive discrepancies in access to reproductive health care. Here’s how celebrity visibility has changed the conversation and what more personal awareness might mean for your own fertility planning.
Why celebrity advocacy matters for fertility awareness
For decades, conditions like Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), the updated medical name for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis were minimized, misunderstood, or simply ignored. Painful periods were brushed off and irregular cycles were treated as inconveniences rather than medical clues pointing to a serious health concern.
When well-known figures speak openly about hormonal disorders and fertility challenges, it can normalize conversations about symptoms many people experience but don’t know how to speak about. According to the World Health Organization, PMOS/PCOS affects up to 10-13% of reproductive-aged women worldwide, but up to 70% of women affected are undiagnosed. The WHO also estimates that endometriosis affects roughly 10 percent of reproductive-aged women worldwide.
This means that many, many people experience these conditions in silence, not knowing the woman sitting across from them has also experienced the same thing. When we don’t share our stories, life-changing knowledge never gets passed on, and women are less likely to get the medical care they need.
PMOS/PCOS and endometriosis are not rare conditions by any means, but many people who struggle with them feel completely alone. This is why public figures who have shared their stories deserve a highlight; when people with social influence bring stigmatized issues into the mainstream, it helps create a sense of recognition for the rest of us, and hopefully, advancements in medical care will follow.
Celebrities with PMOS/PCOS speaking publicly
PMOS/PCOS includes symptoms like irregular periods, hormonal imbalances like increased androgen levels, and polycystic ovaries. Many celebrities with PMOS/PCOS have shared their diagnoses and fertility journeys, helping increase PMOS/PCOS awareness celebrities bring to mainstream media.
- Keke Palmer shared an honest post to her Instagram several years ago, discussing the challenges her skin and body has faced. She shared about how she had to do her own research and take that information to her doctor in order to get a diagnosis.
- Victoria Beckham opened up about getting diagnosed while trying to conceive her fourth child, and didn’t shy away from sharing the fertility challenges that came with it, responding to invasive questions with something like: “’Actually, I’m struggling with infertility because of my PCOS, so my husband and I have been through several fertility treatments.’”
- Daisy Ridley has shared her diagnosis of both PMOS/PCOS and endometriosis, and encouraged seeking medical treatment: “My point is, to any of you who are suffering with anything, go to a doctor; pay for a specialist; get your hormones tested, get allergy testing; keep on top of how your body is feeling and don’t worry about sounding like a hypochondriac. From your head to the tips of your toes, we only have one body. Let us all make sure ours are working in tip top condition, and take help if it’s needed.”
PMOS/PCOS is highly variable; some people ovulate irregularly but conceive without medical intervention. Others need medication to regulate cycles, and actively seek out fertility treatment.
Celebrity stories can normalize your symptoms, but it’s still up to us to treat our symptoms and plan our fertility timelines. Check out our guide on egg freezing with PMOS/PCOS to learn more.
Celebrities with endometriosis raising awareness
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that occurs when endometrium-like tissue grows on the outside of the uterus instead of on the inside. Symptoms include heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating and nausea, and infertility. As a notoriously underdiagnosed condition, celebrities who have spoken about their own experiences are working to actively break down the stigma and help more women get the treatment and recognition they deserve.
- Lena Dunham has spoken about years of pain before diagnosis, undergoing ten surgeries, and eventually having a hysterectomy. She wrote a beautifully moving piece in Vogue about her experience, and has also shared freely on her instagram photos of her body post-surgery. “It makes me feel more beautiful,” she said regarding the scars on her abdomen.
- Amy Schumer posted a video on her Instagram in 2021 following a hysterectomy to treat her endometriosis, saying, “My pain is real. Your pain is real. We have to advocate for ourselves. We have to speak up… And you know what? I’m worried this video is annoying, but I don’t care, because I hope that it helps one woman go and find out why she’s in so much pain.”
- Halsey first publicly announced her endometriosis diagnosis in 2016, and in 2024, she shared on her Instagram a photo post-operation, featuring a diaper and bandages. She’s also been open about a miscarriage she experienced at age 20.
- Tiffany Haddish has opened up about the debilitating pain she experiences on her period, which turned out to be the result of endometriosis. She has also shared about experiencing pregnancy loss.
- Padma Lakshmi has advocated for increased research funding and awareness after her own delayed diagnosis. She founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America in 2009 with her doctor, aiming to raise awareness, fund research, and increase education on the disease.
On average, it takes between seven and nine years to receive an official diagnosis of endometriosis. When public figures speak up, an increase in awareness follows, and, ideally, an increase in adequate medical diagnoses and treatment.
Still, endometriosis varies dramatically in severity and impact. Some people with mild disease struggle to conceive. Others with advanced disease conceive without assistance. Fertility outcomes depend on lesion location, ovarian reserve, age, and many other factors.
For a deeper look at how endometriosis may intersect with fertility preservation, read our breakdown of egg freezing with endometriosis.
Other fertility conditions celebrities discuss
Beyond PMOS/PCOS and endometriosis, public figures have also opened up about thyroid disorders, autoimmune conditions, recurrent pregnancy loss, and unexplained infertility.
These stories reinforce a critical truth: fertility issues are common. They also highlight how complex reproductive health can be. Advocacy is education, not explanation. A diagnosis shared on social media does not capture the nuance of lab values, imaging results, or health care plans (or lack thereof).
What these stories get right
Celebrity fertility awareness advocacy has meaning. It helps people recognize that severe pain is not something to ignore, understand that irregular cycles deserve medical evaluation, feel less alone when facing fertility uncertainty, and talk more openly with partners, friends, and doctors
Visibility reduces stigma, and that matters.
Where celebrity stories fall short
Visibility and awareness can only go so far. Ultimately, access to adequate reproductive health care, medicine, fertility treatments, and even surgery are key to treating these life-altering conditions.
Public figures tend to have faster access to specialists, the ability to pay out of pocket for treatment, and flexible work schedules for appointments and recovery. Our health care system is already expensive and convoluted, and add on to that the medical stigma surrounding women’s health issues, these conditions are notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat.
So when we hear a celebrity say “just get treated! Go see your doctor and pay for a specialist!” we know that it’s easier said than done. But, to the best of your abilities, don’t let the system keep you from seeking the diagnoses and treatment you truly deserve.
And while celebrities might benefit from ease of access and visibility, you’ll never catch us complaining about more visibility, awareness, and options when it comes to women’s health issues.
That’s part of why we’re making key reproductive health care options like egg freezing more accessible by allowing women to freeze their eggs for free when they donate to hopeful parents who can’t otherwise conceive.
Turning awareness into informed action
If celebrity stories have prompted you to think about your own fertility, that can be a healthy starting point.
Consider:
- Tracking your cycles and noting symptoms
- Asking your OB-GYN about irregular periods, severe pain, or hormonal concerns
- Getting baseline fertility testing if you want more clarity
- Learning how egg freezing works before assuming you need it
Freezing your eggs can be part of proactive planning, especially for people with PMOS/PCOS, endometriosis, or uncertainty about timing.
If freezing your eggs is something you’ve found yourself considering, read our guide here to learn more about first steps.
A reminder for anyone navigating fertility questions
Paying attention to our bodies and cycles is important. Awareness of common reproductive health concerns allows us to ask ourselves if something feels off, and helps us feel empowered when it’s time to seek help.
But awareness is just a starting point, not treatment. Celebrity stories are helpful, but certainly not to be used as a basis for diagnosis. Your hormone levels, your ultrasound results, your symptoms, your age, and your goals require personalized medical care with a qualified provider.
Visibility can open the door. What you choose to do next should be based on your body, your timeline, and informed decisions made with a doctor.
Freezing your eggs is a worthy path to consider for many reasons – and all the more so if PCOS and endometriosis are affecting your life. Learn more about our Split program here to see if you qualify for our free egg-freezing program.
