*Lori Harvey is speaking out about her decade-long struggle with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, conditions that went undiagnosed for years.
The model, 28, revealed in a new interview that she endured painful periods beginning at age 16, only to be repeatedly told by doctors that her health was normal.
“I’ve been so frustrated. I’ve been going to my gynecologist because I’ve just been feeling like something’s off in my body,” Harvey said during the Sept. 16 episode of the podcast SheMD with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney, per PEOPLE. “But every time I go to her, she’s like, ‘You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine. Nothing’s wrong.’ And I was like, ‘But I don’t feel fine. I feel like something is just off.’”
After years of unanswered questions, Harvey was referred to Los Angeles OB-GYN Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, who quickly diagnosed her with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. “Polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS) is a hormonal condition that affects your ovaries, the female reproductive organs that make eggs. It affects about 1 in every 10 women who are of childbearing age. It’s one of the most common causes of infertility,” per WebMD. The outlet notes that it can:
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- Stop your periods or make them hard to predict
- Cause acne and unwanted body and facial hair
- Raise your risk for other health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure
Harvey recalled severe cramping that left her feeling like she needed hospital care. “I’m taking 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen. Nothing is working, it’s just debilitating,” she said. Doctors dismissed her concerns, often telling her to “just take some Tylenol,” but Aliabadi confirmed, “Yeah, babe, you’re right. It was not normal and I’m so sorry that you’ve just been living with this.”
Since her diagnosis, Harvey has begun treatment with Metformin to regulate her symptoms. “I feel good in my body finally for once,” she shared. “And I feel like what I should have been feeling like at 16.”
Aliabadi emphasized that many women suffer in silence, calling PCOS and endometriosis a “silent epidemic.”
Harvey hopes sharing her experience will raise awareness, saying, “I think this is a very, very important conversation because so many of us are suffering with it, and we all need to be heard.”
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