Weight gain, excessive hair growth, irregular or absent periods are among the typical symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The endocrine disorder affects around 10% of women* of childbearing age and is one of the most common causes of infertility. The so-called ‘thief of womanhood’ has far-reaching physical and psychological effects on all those affected, regardless of whether they want to conform to the ‘female’ normative ideals of beauty or not. In this project, I worked with my protagonists to explore their lived experiences with PCOS and the stigmatising conditions and visualise them together. This not only questions existing gender roles, but also criticises structurally patriarchal dominant views in gynaecology.

Amelie Sachs (*1996, München, DE) is a documentary photographer and photo editor based in Munich, specialising in portrait photography and visual research. She studied at the Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) in Aarhus in 2021 and completed her studies in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts in 2023. Her project ‘Thief of Womanhood’ was awarded a silver medal at the German Photo Book Prize.

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