PCOS Gets A Rebranding As PMOS After Years Of Debate: Here’s Why The Change Matters

Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 17:09 IST

The hormonal disorder, which affects around one in eight women globally, will now be known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

After years of debate, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is getting a long-awaited new name in a move experts say could improve how the condition is diagnosed, explained and treated. The hormonal disorder, which affects around one in eight women globally, will now be known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

The renaming was announced in a paper published in The Lancet and presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague after a 14-year global effort involving clinicians, researchers, patient groups and women living with the condition.

Experts say the previous name, PCOS, was misleading because it reduced a complex hormonal and metabolic disorder to the presence of ovarian “cysts" — something many patients with the condition do not actually have.

Decades Of Misclassification

“It was very clear that the name was inaccurate," said Professor Helena Teede, an endocrinologist and director of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation in Australia, who led the renaming process.

According to Teede, decades of research have shown that the condition does not involve abnormal ovarian cysts. Instead, women with PCOS often develop immature follicles that appear cyst-like on ultrasound scans. These follicles fail to mature properly and disrupt ovulation, leading to symptoms such as irregular periods, infertility, acne, excess hair growth, weight gain, anxiety and depression.

Doctors and patient advocates say the old name often led to confusion and delayed diagnosis. Some women without visible “cysts" were dismissed despite experiencing serious metabolic and reproductive symptoms linked to the disorder.

Rachel Morman, chair of trustees at UK-based PCOS charity Verity, said the term also caused patients to wrongly associate ovarian cysts with the condition, potentially leading to missed diagnoses for other health issues.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 70% of people with the condition remain undiagnosed. Experts believe the new name could help improve awareness of the disorder’s broader impact on the endocrine, metabolic and reproductive systems.

The renaming process involved thousands of healthcare professionals and patients worldwide, alongside 56 academic, clinical and patient organisations. Awareness campaigns and adoption of the new terminology are expected to continue over the next three years.

News world PCOS Gets A Rebranding As PMOS After Years Of Debate: Here’s Why The Change Matters

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