Lori Harvey is speaking out about her years-long health struggles that doctors repeatedly ignored.
Harvey appeared on the SHEMD podcast with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney. The socialite shared that she experienced painful periods and other symptoms, which caused concern.
“I’ve been so frustrated. I’ve been going to my gynecologist because I’ve just been feeling like something’s off in my body,” Harvey said. “But every time I go to her, she’s like, ‘You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine. Nothing’s wrong.’ And I was like, ‘But I don’t feel fine. I feel like something is just off.’”
Harvey was right. The influencer found a doctor who finally listened to her. After a closer look, Harvey was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis, both of which can cause the symptoms she’d been experiencing.
The SKN owner said she experienced extreme weight changes, acne, facial hair, and painful menstrual cramps since she was a teen.
“My weight fluctuated like crazy,” she said. “I would diet for weeks, working out twice a day, and only eating carbs if I’m doing my second workout of the day. Then I’ll go on vacation for a week, eat a little bit of whatever I want, and I’ll blow up like crazy like I didn’t do anything for the past two weeks.”
Harvey said that after her diagnosis, she was prescribed Metformin, which helped stabilize her hormones and made her feel better. Aliabadi noted that if a woman like Harvey, who has public visibility, couldn’t get doctors to listen to her, it’s less likely they would listen to other women. Harvey agreed, stating that she felt “gaslit” by doctors who ignored her concerns.
According to a KFF study, 21% of Black women report being mistreated by a healthcare provider in situations where they believed race played a role. Among those who have been pregnant or given birth in the past decade, 22% say they were refused pain medication when they thought they needed it.
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