Attention on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has increased significantly in recent years, with diagnoses on the rise, yet there remains a lack of treatment options to manage symptoms. September is PCOS Awareness Month, and according to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. Unfortunately, it’s even more prevalent in the Black community, and symptoms can be more severe.
PCOS is a hormonal condition that can cause a variety of symptoms, including irregular periods, unexplained weight gain, infertility, excess facial or body hair, hormonal acne, dark velvety patches of skin, and ovarian cysts. Women with it often have elevated levels of male hormones and insulin resistance.
Some women experience an array of these symptoms while others have none at all. As a result, PCOS can be difficult to diagnose, and treatment plans are often one-size-fits-all. There’s no cure, but often doctors will prescribe birth control to regulate hormones (although you can also manage it through lifestyle changes).
As someone who lives with PCOS, I’ve only grown comfortable sharing my experience recently due in part to it feeling quite taboo, leaving me feeling isolated and dismissed (unfortunately, a common experience among Black women and medical professionals). When I was diagnosed with PCOS in my teens, I was immediately put on medication, told to lose weight, and that was it. I wasn’t offered much information on what other routes I could take — but I did have symptoms, so I knew something was wrong. For many women who have no symptoms at all, the diagnosis can come as a complete shock.
This was the case for Demi Schweers, social media influencer, mom of two, and co-founder of Iris Nutrition. Schweers openly shared her journey battling multiple sclerosis and infertility to her online community, documenting the highs, the lows, everything. After 14 months of trying to conceive, having a miscarriage, and a bad experience with an OBGYN, she decided to switch fertility clinics. It was at that follow-up appointment that she learned she had PCOS.
“They asked for all the testing and blood work I had done previously. When I sent that to them, they said, ‘Well, what are you doing to manage your PCOS?’ I was in total shock. I had no idea,” she says.
Her previous doctors never relayed the information to her, nor did they tell her that the PCOS could be contributing to her infertility. Determined to get her symptoms in check, Schweers started taking inositol, a supplement shown to improve insulin resistance and enhance egg quality, and a series of other supplements. “I was spending upwards of $400 a month trying to get my body in the best place.”
Thankfully, she was able to get pregnant, but even after her daughter was born, her doctors suggested the same blanket solution for her condition: go on birth control. “I put my foot down and said no, and I pushed them to do a PCOS hormonal panel.”
She continued to share her experiences online when Allison Escovedo Owen, a family friend reached out. Owen, who also has PCOS, saw Schweers’ content and thought not much had changed since her own diagnosis 10 years earlier. The two bonded and decided something needed to change.
“We knew there was a gap in the market. We took our own experiences, the struggles we had, what our issues were, and that’s how Iris was developed,” Schweers says.
Iris Nutrition officially launched on August 25 and is a variety of drink mixes crafted to support women’s hormonal health, reduce stress, and boost gut health. Iris was co-founded by Schweers and Owen, and the drink mixes were created in collaboration with Isabel Garza, a registered dietitian and nutrition science advisor.
They come in three different flavors: Blood Orange Blackberry, Lemon Raspberry, and Peach Prickly Pear. The mixes contain vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, and an inositol blend. All the nutrients are tailored for women managing PCOS, coming off birth control, trying to conceive, or simply looking for more balance. “Our mission is that no woman feels alone in their hormonal wellness journey, regardless of what phase that is,” Schweers says. Iris Nutrition is available for purchase on their website and on Amazon. (A TikTok shop is in the works.)
“It’s not fun to take a million different pills a day to figure out which ones you even need,” Schweers notes. She didn’t see any product that had everything she was looking for, nor were there any created by women of color. “I was like, okay, cool, I’ll just create it.”
Community was an essential pillar of the business from day one, a means of honoring the unwavering support she received while struggling with infertility. From the ad campaigns to the color scheme, her online community was involved. She hosted TikTok lives on the packaging, sent out flavor samples, and included them in the marketing photoshoots. “It was like a little girls’ picnic. We had the best time. It was so fun and so beautiful,” she recalls. Schweers even picked two community members to attend the launch breakfast in New York City.
She also highlights a community member on social media every month. “It’s really beautiful to hear other people’s stories and give us that sense of belonging. At the end of the day, we’re all more alike than we are different.”
While Iris Nutrition just launched a few weeks ago, it’s only the beginning for Schweers and her co-founders. They plan to expand the brand and release more flavors. But for now, having the product in people’s hands and offering women a solution unlike anything else is gratifying.
Still, the work isn’t over. “Women’s health has been overlooked for so long,” says Schweers. “If we want to see people who look like us in these spaces, the louder we continue to be, the more we ask those questions, and the more we advocate for ourselves, the more change is going to happen.”