**Woman’s Decade-Long Ordeal with Painful Periods Leads to Shocking Cyst Discovery**
A London entrepreneur is using her own harrowing health journey to push for better awareness and innovation in women’s reproductive healthcare. Valentina Milanova, founder and chief executive of Daye, spent years suffering from excruciating period pain before doctors uncovered an ovarian cyst containing hair and teeth—a rare and distressing diagnosis that ultimately revealed her underlying polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Valentina, now 30, grew up in Bulgaria and experienced her first period at the tender age of nine, a time when she had no education or previous discussion concerning menstruation. “I was very surprised – I didn’t know what was happening to my body, because no one had had a conversation with me yet about what to expect from menstruation,” she recalls. The lack of information led her to believe she might be gravely ill or even dying. Feeling a mixture of alarm and shame, she attempted to keep her symptoms hidden from her family.
With no knowledge of menstrual products, Valentina would often bleed through her clothes and found little to no relief from her symptoms. Painkillers had little effect, leaving her only basic remedies like hot baths or hot water bottles. It was only after some time that she realised her symptoms were related to menstruation, but the pain kept growing in severity.
By age 11, the pain and heavy bleeding prompted her parents to seek medical advice, leading to Valentina being prescribed the contraceptive pill. While this initially offered some respite, by age 14 her distressing symptoms returned with a vengeance. Matters escalated to the point where she missed an entire year of school and required emergency visits for fast-acting pain relief medications.
During this time, the lack of clarity from the healthcare professionals was an additional source of anxiety. Valentina was subjected to a battery of medical tests, including checks for E. coli and kidney disease, and was even told she might be experiencing an ectopic pregnancy despite insisting she had never been sexually active. “I found it to be very misogynistic that I was told I was kind of lying about not being sexually active yet, and that I should just trust the medical perspective on this,” she said.
The mystery was finally solved at 15, when an intravaginal scan revealed a large ovarian cyst. Doctors were astonished to discover the 8cm mass was filled with hair and teeth—features common to what is known as a dermoid cyst. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these benign tumours can develop tissue like hair, skin or teeth within the ovaries. Following surgical removal of this cyst, Valentina was diagnosed with PCOS, a hormonal disorder causing irregular periods, excess “male” hormones, and multiple ovarian cysts.
While her diagnosis brought some relief and validation, her journey was far from over. Valentina continues to struggle with intermittent cysts, severe pain, bloating and heavy menstrual bleeding. Nevertheless, her personal ordeal served as the catalyst for her 2018 move to found Daye, a company focused on improving period care and gynaecological health. Based in London, Daye has pioneered diagnostic tampons that allow for at-home screening of sexually transmitted infections and HPV, already benefitting over 100,000 patients in the UK.
Valentina’s efforts have not gone unnoticed; her company’s work has been selected for the three-year NHS Innovation Accelerator programme, with a particular focus on supporting the NHS’s goal to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040. She is vocal about the ongoing challenges women face within the healthcare system, pointing to a persistent “gender health gap” that often leaves female pain sidelined or minimised.
“My story is just one of many examples of the gender health gap, the fact that female pain is deprioritised,” she explains. Valentina believes that systemic change is needed both for today’s generation and for the women of the future. “We simply can’t afford to keep passing this challenge on to the next generation again and again. We need a generation that solves this for women today and women in the future as well.”
For further information about Daye’s innovations and support services, visit www.yourdaye.com.