From PCOS to PMOS, and the Impact on Women’s Health 

From PCOS to PMOS, and the impact on women’s health 

One of the most common hormonal disorders is being renamed- and this change could impact the treatment of millions of women. 

PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a hormonal disorder affecting 170 million individuals worldwide. As of May 2026, after a decade-long process, a global panel of patient and professional organisations officially renamed it to PMOS: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. It’s time to discuss why a name change carries such significant weight. 

Why not PCOS?  

Experts agree that the term ‘polycystic ovarian syndrome’ is a very misleading representation of the condition. Why? For one, women diagnosed do not actually have a higher rate of abnormal ovarian cysts than the general population. Many diagnosed do not even have them at all but do experience other hormonal and metabolic dysfunction. 

Traditionally, women must meet two of three criteria for diagnosis:  

• Irregular menstruation 

• Excessive or atypical hair growth or high levels of testosterone (or similar hormones) 

• Polycystic ovaries found on an ultrasound 

Therefore, many patients are diagnosed based on the other two criteria- irregular menstruation and atypical hair growth, for example.  

So, ovarian cysts? Not necessary for diagnosis, and not even true cysts. Instead, they are actually immature egg follicles, rather than pathological, fluid-filled cysts. For these reasons, the name PCOS is inaccurate. The focus on ovarian cysts in the name minimises the broader effects of the condition, (incorrectly) framing it as primarily reproductive. This can result in the neglect of the other effects, potentially leading to inadequate diagnosis and disorder management. 

The impact of PMOS 

The name ‘polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome’ properly represents the reality of living with the syndrome and its metabolic and hormonal elements. For example, more common than ‘cysts’ is insulin resistance, which is present in the majority of patients with PMOS. Insulin resistance leads to effects on multiple systems of the body, including reproductive but also metabolic, dermatological, and psychological. Symptoms of PMOS thus can include things like obesity, type 2 diabetes, acne, hirsutism, anxiety, and depression; none of which are related to the reproductive system. The name PMOS broadens the focus from ovarian health, which is only one component of this complex disorder, to include the other, commonly experienced effects. 

The name change reframes the conversation so it can be better understood by patients, clinicians, and researchers as the complex, long-term health condition it is. It sets the groundwork for expansion beyond the scope of gynecology and into more areas of medicine, which is crucial for a syndrome that affects so many parts of the body. 

Acknowledging the reality of PMOS through its name is a step in the right direction for improving awareness, funding, and research for this condition. For the millions living with PMOS, a more accurate name represents a crucial step towards being fully seen and properly treated.