Melbourne, Australia
November 24, 2001
This meeting was held as a satellite Symposium to the 17th World Congress on Fertility & Sterility, incorporating the 20th annual meeting of the Fertility Society of Australia.
Until recently, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) was thought to be a reproductive disease. The primary management by gynecologists was to stimulate ovulation, by dermatologists to treat the acne and by endocrinologists to deal with diabetes if it developed. It has now been accepted that PCOS is a systemic disease, which has its own unique basis. This Symposium was of interest to practitioners right across the medical field from family physicians to endocrinologists, reproductive gynecologists, specialist gynecologists, dermatologists, cardiologists, and women’s health physicians.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Symposium were:
- To review the inheritance of polycystic ovaries including its molecular biological basis.
- To discuss the methods of diagnosis and the criteria that should be used to diagnose a woman having PCOS.
- To discuss the evidence for PCOS being a general disease, with its adverse affects on the metabolic system on lipids and insulin resistance.
- To discuss possible life-style factors which may affect its aetiology and improve the prognosis of women who have the condition.
- To look at methods of ovulation induction for anovulatory PCOS women, with special reference to women undergoing IVF.
- To discuss the special management of these women when they become pregnant.
- To analyze the evidence that PCOS is in fact a health hazard and that interventions are warranted.
- To discuss the long term consequences of PCOS.
This Symposium was approved by RANZCOG as an educational meeting, providing 8 continuing medical education (CME) credits.
The Symposium was recognized as an accredited meeting for the RACP MOPS program. Registrants were able to claim 0.5 credit points per hour, up to a maximum of 4 credit points for full participation in the meeting.
The Royal College of Physicians, London designated this CME activity for 7 credit hours (Reference #13549).
