A woman who suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has achieved viral fame after sharing a frank Facebook post about the condition.
Tina-Marie Beznec set out to raise awareness of PCOS and the many side effects that come with it by sharing a candid photo of herself shaving her face.
The post was later spotted and shared by parenting blogger and author Constance Hall, where it has garnered more than 7,000 reactions.
In the post, Beznec talks about the symptoms of PCOS and asks others not to judge those who may be overweight or have facial hair, as they might be fighting a hidden battle.
She concluded: “I may be hairy like a man, but I’m still a queen.”.
In the personal post, Beznec said her PCOS meant she had to deal with symptoms such as: depression, anxiety, infertility, weight gain, hormone imbalance, bloating, abdominal pain, acne, cysts, increased risk of cancer and facial hair.
“Do you know how unfeminine this can make a woman feel?” she wrote.
“I’ve always been super self conscious about it, but really just have to put this out there because I want [to] create more awareness around this syndrome and how much it can impact someone’s life, especially if they don’t know they have it.”
She asked people to not judge others if they are overweight, have bald patches or facial hair.
“You never know what a person is going through and it’s unfair to put someone into the ‘lazy and unhealthy’ category without knowing their story,” she said.
“I know it’s only natural for some of us to judge someone based on how they look but remember we are all fighting our own battles and you can never understand if you aren’t willing to learn and listen.”
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She also urged those who believe they might have PCOS to not be afraid and to seek medical help: “It’s a hard battle but the sooner you get diagnosed the sooner you can manage your symptoms.”
Her post has been shared more than 2,000 times, with some women saying it has prompted them to seek help for their symptoms.
One person wrote: “Thank you for this post! As I was reading this I was ticking off all the things that refer to me that until this moment I just thought that my life just sucked and to just deal with it.
“I have now googled the condition and it has turned on the lightbulb in my brain! I’ll be making an appointment to see the doctor on Monday.”
Another added: “I have PCOS and was diagnosed 21 years ago, [that’s] 21 years of living with hair growth, fat that just won’t leave and struggles to have my babies.
“I’ve been plucking away and today I have a massive zit right on my bloody hairy chin and was feeling rather shitty, then this comes along and I can smile... So many PCOS Queens out there.”