Infertility E-Books - More Snake Oil?

The other day I opened an email from a website making helpful claims for women with PCOS. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is very common, not just among infertile women. Untreated PCOS is linked to infertility and to more serious, chronic conditions involving cardiovascular health. There are many well-established websites about PCOS, some that are backed by medical institutions, to which I refer my Houston Fertility Center patients. So I took a quick look at this relative newcomer site to judge its reliability as a patient education resource.

Quick red flag: If the words "cure" or "miracle" appear on a treatment website, be very wary. (I won't credit the site by linking to it in this post.)

Fortunately, there are many other reputable websites that educate and support patients with PCOS. But what I found especially disturbing about this one (and there are others out there) is their tactic of making money from the dissemination of medical information that's already available to consumers for free. That's the miracle of the Internet.

Before you're tempted to spend your money on e-books, email "programs" or newsletters, or even virtual face-to-face counselors who claim to have cures for PCOS -- or any other cause of infertility -- stop and do your research first. Investigate the authors, as well as the company marketing the products and services. Even more importantly, connect with the many available patient groups (like PCOSChallenge) who can tell you what you need to know and offer you support and tested resources, too.