Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan, is calling for earlier diagnosis and improved access to care for women living with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), following a powerful conversation with former Miss Ireland Chelsea Farrell about living with the condition.
Speaking on the latest episode of Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, Deputy McGreehan and Farrell shared their personal experiences of years of pain, misdiagnosis, and struggling to be heard by the healthcare system.
Farrell, who is now a midwife, described how she was repeatedly told to manage her symptoms with contraception before eventually receiving a diagnosis of PMOS and endometriosis after collapsing and being rushed to surgery with an ovarian torsion.
“I should not have had to wait until I was a medical emergency to receive treatment,” she said.
Deputy McGreehan, who also lives with endometriosis, spoke about the physical and mental toll of chronic pain and the difficulty of managing work and everyday life while dealing with the condition.
“There are girls sitting in front of their GPs or their consultants today and their bodies are seen as a vessel for reproduction, not as a person who is entitled to enjoy life, have a career, and do whatever they want in their own world,” she said.
The pair called for a more joined-up approach to PMOS care, involving GPs, endocrinologists, gynecologists, and dermatologists.
“We need a more integrated pathway of care. We need a multidisciplinary team to come on board, to come together, to make the appropriate referrals,” Farrell said.
They also highlighted the importance of educating both girls and boys about conditions such as PMOS and endometriosis and recognising the impact these illnesses can have even when symptoms are not visible.
“PMOS and endometriosis are really common. We’re just not talking about it,” McGreehan said.
The conversation forms part of Deputy McGreehan’s ongoing advocacy for better women’s healthcare, with both women calling for greater awareness, earlier intervention, and treatment that recognises women’s needs beyond fertility.
For further information, reach out to Erin McGreehan.
ENDS
The Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words podcast episode on living with PMOS, can be found by clicking here: Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words.
