“Hopeful,” “excited” and “helpful” for the future of women’s health — these are just some of the words expressed by the team that worked together for more than a decade to change the name polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).
PMOS is a chronic condition associated with diabetes, heart disease, depression, infertility, pregnancy complications and a general decreased quality of life. It affects an estimated one in eight women worldwide, and about one in 10 Canadian women, yet the World Health Organization estimates that 70%t of those affected have never received a diagnosis.
Why the name has changed
The term PCOS was inaccurate, because there is no increase in abnormal ovarian cysts. Rather, the hallmark of this condition is follicles, or little fluid sacs, around partly developed eggs, which are caused when development is disrupted by a hormonal or chemical messenger disturbance.
For years, this inaccuracy contributed to the disorder being misunderstood, underrecognized, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Because PMOS is not primarily a disease of the ovaries, calling it PCOS meant all the broader features of the condition were neglected.
In a news release from Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia, the chair of the charity Verity in the United Kingdom and a member of the name change team with almost 20 years’ lived PMOS experience, explains:
“It has not only impacted how the condition has been understood, it has also affected how seriously it is taken. The inaccurate name has negatively influenced awareness, education, and even the level of research, attention and funding it has received.”
The new name, PMOS, published in The Lancet on May 12, reflects the broader polyendocrine disturbances occurring in women’s insulin, androgens and neuroendocrine and ovarian hormones, and the metabolic impacts these have on their lives.
Prof. Helena Teede, the endocrinologist at Monash University who led the international name change team, said in an announcement: “PMOS is building on what we knew before but really is reflective of the much more diverse and broad features of this condition.”
The name change team also wants the new name to help remove the significant stigma and judgment that is often associated with PMOS, including stigma and judgment around weight gain. Anxiety, depression and eating disorders are all common in women with PMOS, and the risk of metabolic complications like developing Type 2 diabetes is high and occurs at a younger age compared to women without PMOS. Many women are also affected by bothersome symptoms like acne and excess hair growth.
With the new name now reflecting the condition as a complex and cyclical metabolic disorder, Robyn Vettese, who is chair of the PMOS Patient Advisory Council in Alberta and co-author on this story, hopes this will mean all patients, whose symptoms can vary significantly, are met with the understanding they deserve and are supported for long-term health.
How the name was changed
The transition from PCOS to PMOS has been described as the largest, unprecedented global engagement process ever undertaken for a health condition name change and highlights the value of creating space for patients’ voices and lived experiences in improving health care.
Following years of advocacy and campaigning, in 2025, the name change team reported on a survey that found 85.6 per cent of patients and 76.1 per cent of health professionals agreed with the change.
This secured the mandate needed, and after 22,000 health professionals and people living with PMOS participated in surveys and workshops — together with the involvement of 56 leading academic, clinical and patient organizations, including the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada — the acronym PCOS was retired.
Future PMOS advocacy and research
Looking ahead, Vettese sees the name change as a call to action for care providers to participate in education and learning about PMOS and to promote a wider, whole-body health approach.
Dr. Jamie Benham, who runs the Endocrine, Metabolic and Reproductive Advancements (EMBRACE) Women’s Health Research Lab at the University of Calgary and is an author of this story, agrees. She is one of the 62 Global Name Change Consortium authors cited in The Lancet paper, and her immediate priorities are to raise awareness about what the PMOS change means and to continue collaborating with patients to ensure the lab’s research questions are directly relevant to the affected population.
Increasing diagnosis and providing funding for PMOS learning and research in Canada are critical to improve treatment and management of this lifelong, challenging condition, as was underscored in the 2024 McKinsey Health Institute report, Closing the Women’s Health Gap.
Throughout the three-year transition period planned for the name change, we anticipate an expansion in PMOS care by Canadian physicians in the diverse fields of endocrinology, gynecology, dermatology, pediatrics and primary practice.
Up until now, the treatment and management of PMOS has been insufficient. Its new name, and the journey to achieve it, signifies real, genuine change. Researchers, clinicians and patients have come together to say that people with PMOS deserve more appropriate and comprehensive care and support, throughout their whole lives. They are very hopeful this will happen.
