Global debate and years of campaigning have led to PCOS being officially renamed PMOS – Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. 

The landmark shift follows more than a decade of research involving 22,000 people across 56 organisations on six continents. 

Why it matters

The new name marks a welcomed departure from PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome – a label long criticised for focusing on cysts, despite many people diagnosed with the condition never actually developing them. The old terminology failed to capture the complex hormonal and metabolic nature of the condition or its wide‑ranging effects on the body. 

One of the biggest frustrations among health practitioners was that the term PCOS implied a purely gynaecological issue. In reality, the condition extends far beyond the ovaries, involving multiple endocrine systems and long‑term metabolic risks. 

Sherry Ross, MD, board‑certified OB‑GYN and Women’s Health Expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, welcomed the long‑awaited update, explaining that “By putting ‘endocrine’ and ‘metabolic’ in the name, PMOS tells clinicians this is a whole-body condition, not just a gynecologic diagnosis.” 

Associate Professor Magda Simonis, a GP with a special interest in women’s health, also supports the change. She reflected on how the previous diagnostic approach placed disproportionate emphasis on “[c]ysts and the size of cysts on ovaries as a diagnostic…[k]ey criterion.” 

How this will change care

The new name breaks down into three key components: 

• Polyendocrine, acknowledging the multiple hormonal systems involved 

• Metabolic, recognising the lifelong risks of diabetes and heart disease 

• Ovarian, maintaining the link to ovulation issues and infertility 

By removing the focus on cysts and highlighting endocrine, metabolic, and ovarian factors, PMOS signals to clinicians that this is a whole‑body condition. This shift is expected to reshape diagnosis and treatment and ultimately empower women living with PMOS to seek appropriate care. 

Simonis believes the update will help GPs diagnose more confidently, with “[a]n emphasis on lifestyle and listening to women.” 

Awareness and education around the new terminology will roll out over the next three years, with PMOS set to be fully implemented in the International Guideline update in 2028.