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PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is being renamed PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome). After 14 years of global research led by Australian scientists, the medical community has agreed the old name was misleading.1 You do not need ovarian cysts to have the condition, and the name ignored the significant hormonal and metabolic dimensions. The new name will be phased in by 2028. If you already have a PCOS diagnosis, it remains valid. What changes is how comprehensively the condition is understood and managed.
“I have lost count of the number of women who arrived in my rooms convinced they could not have PCOS because their ultrasound did not show cysts. That confusion has cost people years. The rename is long overdue.”
The research, led by Professor Helena Teede at Monash University, involved global experts and more than 22,000 people with lived experience. They concluded the original name was misleading in two ways.
First, you do not need cysts on your ovaries to be diagnosed. Many women with the condition have completely normal-looking ovaries on ultrasound, and for decades this has led to missed and delayed diagnoses.
Second, the old name focused almost entirely on the ovaries, when in reality this is a whole-body endocrine and metabolic condition. The metabolic risks are central, not incidental.
The new name reflects both. Polyendocrine recognises that multiple hormonal systems are involved. Metabolic captures the insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction that often sit underneath the reproductive symptoms. Ovarian remains, because high insulin signals the ovaries to produce excess testosterone, and the two dimensions are deeply linked.
PMOS is a complex hormonal condition affecting around 1 in 8 women globally.2 It has implications across the reproductive system, metabolism, cardiovascular health, mental health, and skin. Up to 50 percent of people with PMOS are prediabetic or diabetic before age 40, and the condition is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease.
Symptoms vary widely, which is part of why it is so often underdiagnosed. Common signs include irregular or absent periods, difficulty conceiving, acne, excess facial or body hair, thinning scalp hair, abdominal weight gain, and fatigue. Not everyone has all of them.
Diagnosis uses the Rotterdam Criteria, which requires two of the three following features.2
| Feature | What it means |
| Irregular ovulation | Infrequent or unpredictable cycles. |
| Elevated androgens | Detected via blood test, or visible as acne or excess hair growth. |
| Polycystic ovaries | A characteristic appearance on ultrasound. One of three possible features, not a requirement. |
In my practice, diagnosis also includes metabolic screening (fasting glucose, insulin, cholesterol) alongside reproductive assessment. The rename to PMOS reinforces that this is non-negotiable.
There is no single treatment, and the right plan depends on your symptoms, your goals, and where fertility sits on your timeline. I tend to think about it in three layers.
“Of all the fertility patients I see, those with PMOS often have some of the most encouraging outcomes once we get the protocol right.“
Full adoption of PMOS is expected by 2028. For now, both names refer to the same condition, and your existing diagnosis and treatment remain valid. What changes is the framing, faster diagnoses, broader metabolic screening as standard care, and less stigma for women whose scans were normal but whose symptoms were not.
If you have been told you do not have PCOS because your ultrasound was clear but you have ongoing symptoms, this is a good moment to ask for a second look. And if PMOS may be part of your fertility picture, an early conversation gives you more options, not fewer.
