The aesthetic labour of polycystic ovarian syndrome: The strife of heteronormative standards and the possibilities of queering sexualities

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dc.contributor.authorCacchioni, Thea
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-07T17:31:18Z
dc.date.available2026-05-07T17:31:18Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractThis article contributes to the burgeoning qualitative literature on experiences of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) by considering PCOS in relation to post-structural theory on gender, sexuality, embodiment, and aesthetic labour. Although to some degree culturally contingent, interview accounts with 30 people diagnosed with PCOS suggest that infertility, hairiness, acne, and/or fatness are a difficult combination with heterosexuality and a source of stigma regardless of identity. This article outlines the aesthetic labour women engaged in to meet heterosexual standards, highlighting structure, and where possible, agency in this work. It also highlights the potential of queer relationships, communities, and perspectives to disrupt heteronormative pressures, considering the promise and limits of bodily acceptance
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.identifier.citationCacchioni, T. (2025). The aesthetic labour of polycystic ovarian syndrome: The strife of heteronormative standards and the possibilities of queering. Sexualities. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634607251386272
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1177/13634607251386272
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/23845
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSexualities
dc.rightsCC BY
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectSexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Aspiration Research Cluster
dc.subjectaesthetic labour
dc.subjectheteronormativity
dc.subjectpolycystic ovarian syndrome
dc.subjectqueering
dc.subjectstigma
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Gender Studies
dc.titleThe aesthetic labour of polycystic ovarian syndrome: The strife of heteronormative standards and the possibilities of queering sexualities
dc.typeArticle

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