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Meet our team
Every provider you’ll need, ready to help
Our PCOS clinic team is made up of Dr. Laura Cooney, a reproductive endocrinologist within our Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Vidushi Sood, a medical endocrinologist, and Dr. Julianne Zweifel, a health psychologist.
You will see all doctors at one visit. They will work together as a team to give you the care and support you need as well as help you get connected with other specialists, including dermatologists, nutritionists and bariatric surgeons as needed.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Connecting the dots to make a diagnosis
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, can have a big impact on your life and it is the most common hormonal condition affecting young women.
PCOS may affect your appearance, mental health and ability to have a baby. It can also raise your long-term risk for serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease and endometrial cancer. Our providers give you tools to manage your PCOS so you can control your symptoms and take charge of your future.
There are many things that may suggest you have PCOS. Sometimes you may not realize they’re connected. Signs and symptoms may include:
Irregular or absent periods
Excess body or facial hair
Acne
Thinning hair or hair loss
Prediabetes or diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Infertility
Weight gain
Depression, anxiety or eating disorders
No single test can confirm PCOS. We diagnose it based on your symptoms, medical history and a physical exam. We will order blood tests to check your hormone levels. Sometimes a pelvic ultrasound may help us learn more.
Treatments and research
Helping you take command of your health
Treatment for PCOS is geared at helping you improve your daily quality of life including controlling your symptoms, losing weight and lowering your long-term health risks.
We can also help you meet personal goals, such as becoming pregnant. Our expert doctors work together to develop a treatment plan specifically for you.
Your treatment plan may include:
Lifestyle changes
Medication to help with irregular periods, abnormal hair loss or hair growth, prediabetes or diabetes and weight loss
Counseling
Infertility therapy
Generations Fertility Clinic
Trouble getting pregnant is often what leads women who are diagnosed with PCOS to seek help. Our Generations Fertility Clinic offers care to women hoping to have a baby. With treatment, we can help get you on a more regular menstrual cycle and increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Our research aims to improve treatment
UW Health is a research hospital and we’re always looking for ways to improve care for people with all types of health conditions, including PCOS. We know, for instance, PCOS can affect mental health. Laura Cooney, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist at UW Health, has helped us learn more about this connection. Her ongoing research includes evaluating the role of inflammation in women with PCOS, comparing different fertility treatment options for women with PCOS, looking at the risk of postpartum depression in women with PCOS, evaluating the impact of sleep apnea on women with PCOS who are trying to get pregnant and analyzing the effect of PCOS on postpartum breastfeeding rates.
The more we know about how PCOS impacts women, the better able we are to help them.
Patient support
Support groups and resources
Learning about PCOS and how other women deal with it can be empowering.
Locations