About the Meeting Organizer

The PCOS Stakeholder Meeting to Develop Common Reference Ranges for Hormone Tests in Women and Adolescent Girls is organized by PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association. Serving nearly 60,000 members, PCOS Challenge is the largest PCOS patient advocacy organization globally. PCOS Challenge is the leading organization advancing PCOS health policy at the federal and state levels, patient-centered research, and patient-focused efforts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of PCOS.

About the Meeting Host

The PCOS Stakeholder Meeting to Develop Common Reference Ranges for Hormone Tests in Women and Adolescent Girls is hosted by CDC Clinical Standardization Programs. Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Clinical Standardization Programs are dedicated to improving clinical laboratory test accuracy and harmonization, providing standardized reference materials, and contributing to better diagnostic and treatment practices for various health conditions.

Stakeholder Meeting Planning Committee

• Sasha Ottey, MHA, MLS (ASCP) – PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association
• Melanie Cree, MD, PhD – Pediatric Endocrinology | PCOS Multi-Disciplinary Clinic | Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Katherine Sherif, MD – Professor of Medicine & Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University | Director, Jefferson Women’s Primary Care
• Hubert Vesper, PhD – Director, CDC Clinical Standardization Programs
• Alicia Lyle, PhD – CDC Clinical Standardization Programs
• Fidelia Pokuah, MPH – CDC Clinical Standardization Programs

PCOS Stakeholder Meeting Background

Reference intervals (RI) for testosterone are critical for identifying individuals with low or high testosterone levels, which can guide clinical decisions for women and girls with PCOS. Establishing broadly applicable RI is challenging due to the need for well-characterized individuals and comparable laboratory measurements. PCOS Challenge, in collaboration with the CDC and other researchers, has demonstrated that different study data on testosterone in women and girls can be combined through comparisons to the CDC laboratory. This unique opportunity aims to develop and establish broadly applicable RI using multiple studies to create robust estimates.

The PCOS Stakeholder Meeting will bring together clinical experts, researchers, healthcare providers, and representatives of public and private organizations to develop a plan for creating standardized RI for testosterone in women and adolescent girls using existing data. Attendees will discuss methodologies, data normalization, and statistical procedures to derive these reference ranges and address potential challenges.

Who Should Attend the PCOS Stakeholder Meeting?

The PCOS Stakeholder Meeting will be attended by clinical experts, researchers, healthcare providers, and representatives from public and private organizations interested in the development of standardized reference intervals for testosterone tests. This includes endocrinologists, laboratory standardization experts, public health officials, and other stakeholders focused on improving PCOS diagnosis and treatment.