PCOS has a new name.

You might know it as PCOS. You’ll increasingly see PMOS. The name changed to better reflect a condition that reaches beyond the ovaries.

Why the name changed

The label “polycystic ovary syndrome” has long been considered misleading. Many people with it don’t have cysts, and the ovaries are only part of the picture. A multistep global consensus of clinicians, researchers, and patients settled on a name that reflects what the condition actually involves, published in The Lancet in May 2026.

PMOS stands for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. The name keeps the familiar reference point while making the metabolic side visible, because that side is central to how the condition is experienced and managed.

If you were diagnosed with PCOS, that diagnosis still applies under PMOS. Only the name changed.

More than ovaries or periods

PMOS can touch metabolism and insulin, skin and hair, energy, mood, weight, cravings, sleep, and fertility. Two people with the same diagnosis can live very different days. That’s why Cyster follows your whole picture rather than a single symptom.

Why Cyster uses PMOS

Cyster is being built around the whole picture: what you notice, what changes over time, and what you want to understand next. A name that looks beyond a single organ fits that approach.

We’ll use PMOS in new writing and include PCOS where it helps you find what you’re looking for. You shouldn’t need to learn a new name before you can find support.

You may see both terms elsewhere too, on records, in health systems, from your own clinician, while the transition happens. If a record still says PCOS, ask your clinician how they’re using the new terminology.

Sources

1. 1.

   Teede HJ, Costello MF, Misso ML, et al. Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process. The Lancet. May 12, 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00717-8. Open access.

2. 2.

   Piltonen T, Kuusiniemi E, Teede HJ. Ovarian cysts in polycystic ovary syndrome: a population-based prevalence study. JAMA Internal Medicine. May 11, 2026. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2026.1370

3. 3.

   Teede HJ, Misso ML, Costello MF, et al. International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Monash University Centre for Research Excellence in PCOS. 2023.

For general information. Cyster does not provide a diagnosis or replace care from a qualified clinician.