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PCOS Gets a New Name in Landmark Women's Health Shift
- May 15, 2026
- HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter
A major women’s health condition is getting a new name—and experts say it could change how millions are diagnosed and treated worldwide.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, will now be known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS.
The condition affects more than 170 million women worldwide and is linked to hormone imbalances, weight and metabolic issues, mental health symptoms, skin changes and fertility challenges.
Experts said the old name was misleading because the condition is not actually defined by ovarian cysts.
"What we now know is that there is actually no increase in abnormal cysts on the ovary and the diverse features of the condition were often unappreciated," said Helena Teede, director of the Monash Center for Health Research & Implementation in Australia and an endocrinologist at Monash Health.
Researchers say the misunderstanding contributed to delayed diagnoses and inadequate care for many patients.
The renaming effort — documented in an article published May 12 in The Lancet — took 14 years. It involved more than 50 medical and patient advocacy organizations, along with more than 22,000 survey responses from people affected by the condition.
Patient advocate Rachel Morman, chair of Verity, a patient advocacy group that aims to raise awareness around PMOS, says the new name reflects the true complexity of the condition.
"This shift will reframe the conversation and demand that it is taken as seriously as the long-term, complex health condition it is," she said.
The new name will be rolled out globally over the next three years through a major education and awareness campaign.
Experts hope it will lead to earlier diagnoses, better treatment and improved long-term care for women around the world.
More information
Verity has more on PCOS (now PMOS).
SOURCE: HealthDay TV, May 15, 2026
