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Objective: To examine different patterns of glucose and insulin secretion in women (of both Indian and white ethnic backgrounds) with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)., Design: A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 11 subjects from each group., Setting: Reproductive Medicine and Gynecological Clinics from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, South Australia, and King Edward the VIIIth Hospital, Durban, South Africa., Patients: Couples were grouped as follows: Indian nonobese and obese PCOS, Indian nonobese and obese reference subjects, white nonobese and obese PCOS, white nonobese and obese reference subjects., Main Outcome Measure: Insulin and glucose in plasma after oral glucose testing., Results: Indian PCOS and nonobese reference subjects had higher insulin responses than whites. The ethnic difference was less pronounced in obese women. There were no ethnic differences in glucose response., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the ethnic background of subjects with PCOS needs to be considered in studies on the metabolic parameters in this condition.