Biographical Discovery, Affirmation, and Disruption: Trans and Nonbinary Peoples' Experiences Negotiating Gender and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine irregularity in people who are assigned-female-at-birth and are of reproductive age. PCOS causes infertility, irregular periods and hirsutism. Cis women with PCOS describe these symptoms as 'masculinising,' which makes them feel inauthentic as women. However, trans and nonbinary people with PCOS may desire a more masculine appearance, but little attention has been given to how these people may experience PCOS. Using Apify, we collected 450 posts from three popular PCOS Reddit communities. We examined titles, posts, and comments for discussions of gender identity and expression. A total of 60 posts with 3889 comments were selected for analysis. We find that, despite broad literature that characterises illnesses as disruptive to one's self, trans and nonbinary people often view PCOS favourably. We propose two theoretical frameworks to better capture their experiences: biographical discovery, where PCOS is a catalyst for self-discovery, and biographical affirmation, where symptoms validate their sense of self and ease gender expression. We also discuss how these users experience biographical disruption. These findings elucidate the ways that social identities shape perception of bodily changes as a result of chronic illness and highlight the need for an embodied approach within medical sociology.