Why Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Has a New Name

For years, millions of women have lived with a condition whose name never fully captured their lived experiences. The term “polycystic ovary syndrome” (PCOS) has long been criticized for being misleading, incomplete, and overly focused on the presence of cysts on the ovaries (a symptom that is not actually reflective of the condition).

After years of efforts from researchers, healthcare professionals, and patient advocacy groups across the globe, the condition has officially been renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS).

For this week’s blog, we will be reviewing an article published in The Lancet that outlines how and why the name was changed. More than 14,000 patients and healthcare professionals participated in surveys and workshops to inform the name change.

The Problem With the Name “PCOS”

The term PCOS has been recognized as inaccurate for many years. Many people diagnosed with PCOS don’t actually have ovarian cysts, which has created needless confusion. The name also narrowed public and medical understanding of the condition to fertility and reproductive health, when in reality it affects multiple systems throughout the body.

For example, people with PCOS may experience:

• Insulin resistance
• Weight gain/obesity
• Sleep difficulties
• Irregular periods
• Acne and excess hair growth
• Infertility
• Anxiety and depression
• Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular complications
• Sleep and metabolic disorders

However, the original name, PCOS, does not capture these diverse experiences, and many people felt dismissed, misdiagnosed, or were treated only for reproductive symptoms while broader metabolic concerns were ignored.

Why PMOS Is More Accurate

The new name aims to improve scientific accuracy while reducing misunderstanding amongst healthcare providers and people diagnosed with the condition. The name PMOS was chosen to better reflect the condition’s true complexity. It now reflects the fact that multiple hormone systems are involved (“polyendocrine”) and that the condition can impact metabolic health (“metabolic”), while still acknowledging the impact on the ovaries (“ovarian”).

Why The Change Matters 

The move from PCOS to PMOS represents a growing recognition that women’s health conditions have often been oversimplified and misunderstood. For many patients, the term PCOS minimized their experience. If someone didn’t have obvious ovarian cysts or fertility concerns, providers sometimes overlooked the broader endocrine and metabolic dysfunction. The PMOS name change could help shift medical care and future research toward a more holistic approach.

If you have a sex question of your own, record a voicemail at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology to have it answered on the blog or the podcast. 

Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for more from the blog or here to listen to the podcast. Follow Sex and Psychology on Facebook, Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), Bluesky, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram.

Image made in Canva.

References:

Teede, H. J., Khomami, M. B., Morman, R., Laven, J. S. E., Joham, A. E., Costello, M. F., Patil, M., Rees, D. A., Berry, L., Cree, M. G., Zhao, H., Norman, R. J., Dokras, A., & Piltonen, T. (2026). Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process. The Lancet (British Edition). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00717-8