Lea Michele Opens Up About PCOS Diagnosis: 'It Explained Everything'

Lea Michele is on the cover of Health magazine’s October 2019 issue.

Here’s what the 33-year-old actress had to share with the mag…

On signs of PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome): “Growing up, I had terrible skin. I went on Accutane three times. I was put on every medication that you could imagine to help my skin. Luckily, birth control was a savior for me when I was in my teens. And then when I was in my late 20s, I realized I wanted to detox my body of all medications. That’s when everything happened—the return to bad skin and, this time, weight gain. I didn’t know what was going on. All people wanted to do was give me more medication. I don’t shun people for needing or wanting to take medication, but for me, I knew something wasn’t right. I just felt medication wasn’t going to be the final cure.”

On her diagnosis and why she hasn’t spoken about it publicly: “Yes. I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, ‘Oh, you have PCOS.’ It explained everything. Through diet, I have been able to manage it. But I am very fortunate. There are way more extreme versions of PCOS that women have a lot of difficulty with—mine is not as intense. Which is why I haven’t really talked about it, because there are women who have it so much more intense.”

On what she’s most proud of: “That I got through a lot of tough moments in my life, and that I came out a lot stronger than I ever imagined. Glee, just as it was, would’ve been tough in and of itself. But then everything that I experienced in my mid- to late 20s was very intense. I have great people in my life, and I really fought hard to get through that and come out stronger. That is my greatest personal accomplishment.”

For more from Lea Michele, visit Health.com.