Lori Harvey Opens Up on PCOS, Endometriosis and Medical Bias Against Black Women

Lori Harvey has opened up about years of debilitating symptoms that she says were repeatedly brushed aside by doctors, leading to delayed diagnoses of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.

Speaking on the SHEMD podcast with obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and producer Mary Alice Haney, Harvey described a long, frustrating search for answers.

“I’ve been so frustrated,” she said. “I kept going to my gynaecologist saying something felt off. Every time I heard, ‘You’re fine.’ But I didn’t feel fine.”

Harvey said she had lived with severe period pain since her teens, alongside acne, facial hair, and dramatic weight fluctuations. Despite strict diets and intense workouts, “I’d go on vacation for a week, eat a little of what I wanted, and I’d blow up like crazy—like I hadn’t done anything for the past two weeks,” she recalled.

After consulting a new physician who took a closer look, Harvey was diagnosed with PCOS, a hormonal condition linked with irregular periods, acne, and weight changes, and endometriosis, in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus and can cause chronic pelvic pain.

She said she was prescribed metformin, a medication that helped stabilise her hormones and “made me feel better.”

Dr. Aliabadi noted that Harvey’s experience mirrors a broader problem: if a high-profile woman struggles to be heard, ordinary patients often face even steeper barriers. Harvey agreed, saying she felt “gaslit” by earlier doctors who dismissed her concerns.

The model’s account echoes data showing persistent gaps in women’s healthcare, particularly for Black women. A KFF study found 21% of Black women report being mistreated by a provider in situations where they believed race played a role; among those pregnant or who gave birth in the past decade, 22% said they were denied pain medication when they felt they needed it.