“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 from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome (PMOS).
PMOS is a chronic disease associated with diabetes, heart disease, depression, infertility, pregnancy complications, and an overall decreased quality of life. It is estimated to affect one in eight women worldwide and approximately one in 10 Canadian women; However, the World Health Organization estimates that 70% of those affected have never received a diagnosis.
Why has the name changed?
The term polycystic ovary syndrome was inaccurate because there is an increase in abnormal ovarian cysts. Rather, the hallmark of this condition is follicles, or small sacs of fluid, around partially developed eggs, which occur when development is interrupted by a disruption of a hormonal or chemical messenger.
For years, this inaccuracy contributed to the disorder being poorly understood, underrecognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. Because PMOS is not primarily a disease of the ovaries, calling it PCOS meant that all the broader features of the condition were neglected.
In a press release from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, the president of the Verity charity in the United Kingdom and a member of the rebranding team with almost 20 years of experience in PMOS, explains:
“It has not only affected how the disease is understood, but also 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 alterations that occur in women's insulin, androgens, and neuroendocrine and ovarian hormones, and the metabolic impacts these have on their lives.
Professor Helena Teede, an endocrinologist at Monash University who led the international renaming team, said in a statement: “PMOS builds on what we knew before, but actually reflects the much more diverse and broader characteristics of this condition.”
The renaming team also wants the new name to help remove the significant stigma and judgment that is often associated with PMOS, including the stigma and judgment around weight gain. Anxiety, depression, and eating disorders are common in women with PMOS, and the risk of metabolic complications, such as 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 such as acne and excessive hair growth.
Now that the new name reflects the condition as a complex, cyclical metabolic disorder, Robyn Vettese, chair of the Alberta PMOS Patient Advisory Council and co-author of this story, hopes this means all patients, whose symptoms can vary significantly, receive the understanding they deserve and receive support for their long-term health.
How the name was changed
The transition from SOP to PMOS has been described as the largest and most unprecedented global engagement process ever undertaken for a name change of a health condition and highlights the value of creating space for patient voices and lived experiences to improve healthcare.
After years of promotion and campaigning, in 2025, the name change team reported a survey that found that 85.6 percent of patients and 76.1 percent of healthcare professionals agreed with the change.
This secured the necessary mandate, and after 22,000 health professionals and people living with PMOS participated in surveys and workshops (along with participation from 56 leading academic, clinical and patient organizations, including the Canadian Endocrinology and Metabolism Society and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada), the PCOS acronym was retired.
Future PMOS Advocacy and Research
Looking ahead, Vettese sees the name change as a call to action for care providers to engage in education and learning about PMOS and promote a broader approach to whole-body health.
About the authors
Pauline McDonagh Hull is a PhD candidate in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary.
Jamie Benham is an endocrinologist and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine.
Robyn Vettese is a Research Assistant (Community Scholar), Department of Medicine, Cumming Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Dr. Jamie Benham, who directs the Women's Health Research Laboratory of Endocrine, Metabolic and Reproductive Advances (EMBRACE) at the University of Calgary and is an author of this article, agrees. She is one of 62 Global Name Change Consortium authors cited in the Lancet article, and her immediate priorities are to raise awareness about what 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 learning and research on PMOS in Canada are critical to improving the treatment and management of this challenging, lifelong condition, as highlighted in the McKinsey Health Institute's 2024 report, Closing the Women's Health Gap.
Throughout the planned three-year transition period for the name change, we anticipate an expansion of PMOS care by Canadian physicians in the diverse fields of endocrinology, gynecology, dermatology, pediatrics and primary practice.
Until now, the treatment and management of PMOS has been insufficient. Your new name and the path to achieve it mean real and genuine change. Researchers, doctors and patients have come together to say that people with PMOS deserve more appropriate and comprehensive care and support throughout their lives. They are very hopeful that this will happen.
