The Top Travel Tips for Solo Female Travelers With PCOS
Traveling solo can be a freeing experience for some. For women especially, solo travel has
become a popular and more frequent alternative for leisure.
Searches for “solo women travel” surged in 2019, and surveys show that 84% of solo travel experiences were booked by women. In fact, one survey found that solo female travelers made up 72% of American women. Recent market research also indicates that solo travel is projected to see the most growth through 2027.
This trend of solo travel among women hasn’t gone unnoticed among companies and startups in
the travel sector. Today, more and more travel startups are geared towards solo female travelers
and their needs.
This includes Greether, an app that connects women to female “greeters” or guides at their destination. This helps provide a sense of safety for women who may be anxious
about traveling alone to new and unfamiliar destinations.
However, the anxiety of traveling alone for women extends far beyond needing trustworthy
guides. Some women have health conditions that can easily affect or disrupt the travel experience.
One such condition is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects 6% to 12% of women in
the US. Still, this doesn’t mean that traveling with PCOS isn’t doable. Below, we’ll be sharing
some travel tips for solo female travelers with PCOS:
What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine disorder that affects hormones during a woman’s
reproductive age. Women who have PCOS typically produce abnormal amounts of androgens —
a type of male sex hormone — and some women with the condition develop cysts on their
ovaries, hence the name. However, the name can be misleading as some women with PCOS never
develop cysts.
For solo women travelers, it can be anxiety-inducing to manage the condition while away from
home. Below are some travel tips to help you enjoy your travel experience without compromising
your health:
Researching and planning your itinerary
First and foremost, as with other travel experiences, research and proper planning is essential. For
travelers with PCOS, a little more research can go a long way in ensuring your comfort and health
management while out and about. Chronic stress can exacerbate PCOS symptoms, so you’ll want
to ensure you plan ahead and have time for rest and relaxation when traveling.
In a previous post discussing the effects of solo travel, we highlighted the importance of deciding
how much money you want to spend, the places you will visit, and when you decide to return
home. For those with PCOS, solo traveling also means you’ll have to do prior research for local
restaurants and destinations you may want to visit to ensure your food and activities won’t impact
PCOS symptoms.
Packing medications
It is important to bring the necessary medications when traveling anywhere. This is because when
you’re away from home, it can be challenging to locate or go to pharmacies. Additionally, there
may be complications with prescriptions, as well as crucial information such as brands,
variations, and dosage getting lost in translation.
One of the most common treatments recommended for PCOS is weight loss. Losing weight can
improve insulin levels and reduce androgen levels, as well as lead to improvements in fertility
and help restore ovulation. Today, PCOS treatment for weight loss includes prescription weight
loss medications such as GLP-1 and metformin. If you’ll be traveling for long periods, it’s
important not to forget these medications to support sustainable and safe weight loss and make
PCOS symptoms more manageable.
Eating accordingly
Finally, it’s essential not to overlook healthy nutrition while traveling. While a healthy diet won’t
cure PCOS, it can help you maintain an optimal weight, improve symptoms, and reduce the risk
of other diseases. So, from planning out local restaurants to the snacks you’ll be packing, it’s
important to consider the best foods for PCOS and include them in your food trip plans.
These include dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens, as these can help slow
down digestion and cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Other PCOS-friendly foods include
whole grains for regulating blood sugar and boosting your antioxidants for their anti-
inflammatory properties.
