You know something is off. The question is what, exactly.
PCOS/PMOS is one of the most common hormone conditions in women, yet most women with it have never had a proper look at what their hormones and metabolic markers are actually doing. A diagnosis is not the same as answers.
What women with PCOS/PMOS are told and what they actually need to know
PCOS/PMOS looks completely different from one woman to the next. For some it is weight gain and irregular periods. For others it is acne, hair loss, or struggling to conceive. Yet the response is often the same regardless.
"Lose some weight and your cycles will regulate"
Weight and PCOS/PMOS are connected, but the relationship runs in both directions. Insulin resistance makes weight loss genuinely harder, not just a matter of trying more. Telling someone to lose weight without addressing the underlying metabolic picture first is like telling someone to run faster with a broken ankle. Understanding what's driving the insulin resistance is where the real work starts.
"Just go on the pill to regulate your cycles"
Hormonal birth control can help manage some PCOS/PMOS symptoms in the short term and for some women it is genuinely useful. But it works by suppressing your natural cycle, which means it doesn't address the underlying hormonal and metabolic drivers. When you come off it, those drivers are still there. Understanding them properly means you have something to actually work with.
"Your testosterone is slightly high but nothing to worry about"
A single testosterone reading gives you very little useful information. What matters is the full androgen picture, how testosterone is being converted and cleared, whether DHEA and other androgens are elevated, and whether sex hormone binding globulin is low enough to make even normal testosterone levels feel high. That is not something a standard blood test looks at in any meaningful way.
"We don't need to test your insulin your glucose is fine"
Normal fasting glucose does not rule out insulin resistance. In the early stages, the body compensates by producing more insulin, which keeps glucose looking normal while the underlying resistance builds. A fasting insulin test, or better still a full metabolic panel including HbA1c and HOMA-IR, tells a completely different story. This matters because insulin resistance is one of the key drivers of PCOS/PMOS in many women.
What you might be experiencing
PCOS/PMOS shows up differently for everyone
Irregular periods
Weight gain
Acne
Hair thinning
Facial hair
Fatigue
Low mood
Sugar cravings
Difficulty losing weight
Anxiety
Fertility issues
Bloating
Brain fog
Skin tags
Sleep problems
Low libido
The right testing for PCOS/PMOS
Why PCOS/PMOS needs two types of testing
PCOS/PMOS is both a hormonal condition and a metabolic one. To understand it properly you need to look at both. Blood testing tells you what is happening with your metabolism and androgens. The DUTCH test tells you what your hormones are doing at a deeper level. Together they give you a complete picture that neither can provide alone.
Blood Testing
The metabolic and androgen picture
Standard blood testing, when done properly for PCOS/PMOS, looks at the markers most likely to reveal what is actually driving your symptoms. This is where insulin resistance, thyroid function, and the androgen profile become visible.
Fasting insulinHbA1cFasting glucoseTotal testosteroneFree testosteroneSHBGDHEA-STSHFree T3 and T4LH and FSHAMHInflammatory markers
The DUTCH test goes beyond what blood testing can show. It maps how your hormones are being produced, used, and cleared across a full day, including the androgen and oestrogen metabolites that are often most relevant to PCOS/PMOS symptoms.
Order your DUTCH testAt-home urine collection kit. Results reviewed by our clinical team.
Better together
Why both tests give you what neither can alone
Blood testing shows you whether insulin resistance is present, where your androgens sit, and how your thyroid is functioning. The DUTCH shows you how your hormones are being metabolised and cleared, and what the underlying hormonal environment looks like across the day. For PCOS/PMOS, where the condition has both metabolic and hormonal roots, seeing both sides of the picture is what makes it possible to actually do something meaningful about it.
Common questions
Things people usually want to know
A PCOS/PMOS diagnosis is often made on the basis of ultrasound findings or a few basic hormone markers, without any real look at the metabolic picture. The best starting point depends on your main symptoms. If weight, energy, sugar cravings, or difficulty losing weight are the main issue, blood testing to assess insulin resistance and thyroid function is often the most useful first step. If irregular cycles, acne, mood, or hair loss are the bigger concern, the DUTCH test gives a more detailed hormonal picture. Many women benefit from both, and we can help you decide what makes most sense for your situation.
Insulin resistance means your cells are not responding properly to insulin, so your body produces more of it to compensate. In PCOS/PMOS, high insulin levels stimulate the ovaries to produce more androgens like testosterone, which drives many of the symptoms. It also makes weight loss harder, disrupts ovulation, and creates a cycle that keeps symptoms going. It is present in around 70 to 80 percent of women with PCOS/PMOS, and it often goes undetected because fasting glucose alone does not pick it up. Testing fasting insulin alongside glucose gives a much more accurate picture.
Yes, and the evidence behind it is strong. Insulin resistance responds well to dietary changes, particularly around carbohydrate quality and meal timing. Certain nutrients directly support androgen metabolism and cycle regularity. Stress management matters too because cortisol affects both insulin sensitivity and androgen production. The key is making changes that are specific to what your testing shows rather than following generic PCOS/PMOS advice, which is often too broad to be useful.
PCOS/PMOS is one of the most common causes of irregular ovulation and fertility challenges. Improving insulin sensitivity, bringing androgens into a healthier range, and supporting progesterone production in the second half of the cycle all contribute to more regular ovulation. Understanding your specific hormone and metabolic picture means we can support your fertility in a way that is targeted to what is actually going on for you, rather than a standard approach.
It depends on your symptoms and what you most want to understand. Blood testing is particularly important if insulin resistance, weight, thyroid issues, or fertility are your main concerns. The DUTCH is most useful if you want to understand your full hormone picture, including how androgens are being metabolised and what your cortisol patterns look like. Many women with PCOS/PMOS find that doing both gives them the clearest starting point, but we can talk through what makes most sense for you before you decide.
