The condition affecting 1 in 8 women got a new name – PMOS
Earlier this year, a condition affecting 1 in 8 women worldwide got a new name, and it’s one that finally reflects the reality of living with it. Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, or PMOS, replaces the term Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) following a 14-year global collaboration between clinicians, researchers and thousands of women with lived experience.
If you’ve been navigating unexplained symptoms, such as irregular periods, persistent fatigue, low mood, weight changes or unwanted hair growth, this change matters for you.
Why was PCOS renamed to PMOS?
The old name did women a disservice. For too long, the name reduced a complex, long-term hormonal disorder to a misunderstanding about ‘cysts’ and a focus on ovaries – contributing to missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment. In reality, many women with the condition don’t have ovarian cysts at all. The new name shifts attention to the hormonal and metabolic complexity at the heart of the condition.
PMOS is characterised by fluctuations in hormones, with impacts on weight, metabolic and mental health, skin, and the reproductive system. This broader framing validates what so many women have experienced: a condition that touches every aspect of their health, often for years before diagnosis.
The symptoms of PMOS
PMOS presents differently in each person, which is part of what makes it so difficult to pin down. Symptoms usually start in adolescence, although some women do not develop them until later in life, and many do not recognise early symptoms as part of an underlying condition.
Common signs include irregular or absent periods, difficulty conceiving, unexplained weight changes, acne, excess facial or body hair (hirsutism), fatigue and low mood. The condition carries long-term health implications, with those affected at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and endometrial cancer.
Not just a reproductive condition
One of the most significant shifts the new name brings is an acknowledgement that PMOS is not primarily a fertility problem. It is a systemic hormonal and metabolic condition. The mental health burden alone is considerable — anxiety, depression and disordered eating are all significantly more prevalent in women with PMOS than in the general population.
This sits alongside the broader conversation about women’s hormonal health that we began in our blog on endometriosis. Just as endometriosis is frequently dismissed or delayed in diagnosis, PMOS has long suffered from the same systemic blind spots. Both conditions remind us that women’s hormonal health deserves to be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, and treated with care.
Support and resources
Verity, the UK’s leading PMOS charity, offers evidence-based information, community support and guidance on managing the condition. There’s a dedicated PMOS name change resource page.
The full announcement from the Endocrine Society, including details of the international research process behind the renaming, can be read here.
At EssexPrivateGP, we support women with their hormonal health and offer tailored assessments for women experiencing symptoms that may point to PMOS or other hormonal conditions.
If you’ve been putting off that conversation or feel your symptoms haven’t been properly explored, book a confidential appointment with EssexPrivateGP today.
