VICTORIA Beckham, Kym Marsh and Jules Oliver don't just have fame and celebrity partners in common - all suffer from a relatively common condition called polycystic ovary syndrome.

As many as a third of women have polycystic ovaries, where many fluid filled sacs, or cysts form in one or both of the ovaries. Of these, an estimated 33 per cent have polycystic ovary syndrome, in which the condition is accompanied by symptoms that can include abnormally high levels of male hormones, acne, an increase in body and/or facial hair, irregular periods, tiredness, mood swings, depression and obesity.

Left untreated, PCOS can lead to infertility. Sufferers also have a higher risk of developing cancer of the lining of the womb, diabetes and heart disease.

But because symptoms develop during puberty, when the hormones are in turmoil anyway, sufferers often do not realise anything is wrong until they reach their 20s.

That was the case with 38-year-old Diane Crocker of Bournemouth, who was diagnosed 15 years ago during investigations to discover why she was having trouble conceiving. As a teenager, she had been put on the pill because her periods were so irregular.

"I knew before I got married I would have a certain degree of trouble getting pregnant. When I came off the pill my periods stopped. I was told at first it was because I had been on the pill for a long time," she recalled.

"I was put on drugs to stimulate my ovaries, but it didn't work. After about three years of investigations, we were told to go away and think about adoption.

"The thought of not being able to have children when any decision is taken away from you makes it harder. For eight-and-a-half years it really dominated my life. The more I was told 'no', the more I wanted a baby.

"I'm the youngest of seven children - they were having children, and life was pretty horrible at times. I used to get quite upset."

She and her husband Paul were actually on the adoption waiting list when Diane became pregnant with the couple's daughter Megan, now nearly six. Three years ago, she conceived again, giving birth to son Elliott.

"Both are special in their own way, considering what we went through," said part-time care assistant Diane, of Charminster.

Although overjoyed at becoming a mother, Diane still suffers unwelcome side-effects from her PCOS. She has managed to lose two-and-a-half stone through sheer determination, but admits that excess hair remains the bane of her life.

"The things I have bought over the years and the amount of money I have spent on shavers, epilators, creams and potions. Four years ago, I was referred for electrolysis on the NHS. I've just heard I'm 14th on the waiting list."

Recently, Diane has been paying for private laser hair removal on her face. "It's not a quick-fix solution, but it is having an effect."

Zena Wilks, who treats Diane at Advanced Laser in Bournemouth, explained that excess hair associated with PCOS often followed a male pattern, with the upper lip, chin, neck, chest and top of the leg commonly affected.

"It can cause terrible stress. A lot of young women aren't getting into relationships because they are too embarrassed," she said. "Others won't go swimming with their kids because they're too hairy. I've had ladies who, before they came to me, were spending at least an hour a day plucking."

Any women who have difficulties with weight gain, losing weight - about 40 per cent of sufferers are overweight - irregular periods or excess body hair should ask their GP to be checked for PCOS. Experts also advise that if you have the syndrome, you should also have your blood fats and glucose levels measured.

There is a support group for women with PCOS called Verity. For further details see the website on (www.verity-pcos.org/uk.).