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PCOS has officially been updated to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), and the change could mean better care for all. 

Nearly 90 years after it was first identified, the hormonal condition impacting roughly 1 in 8 women, known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), has a new name that could lead to better care outcomes for Black women and other women of color.

On Tuesday, May 12, it was announced that the condition’s name has officially been updated to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), after years of urging from the medical community and people living with the condition.

“It was so misleading and stigmatizing. We’ve been talking about it for, like, over a decade now that we should change it,” Dr. Sameena Rahman, a board-certified OB/GYN and menopause and sexual health expert based in Chicago, told theGrio by phone on Thursday.

“When you say ‘polycystic ovarian syndrome,’ you’re assuming reproductive pathology. You’re assuming something is happening in the ovaries. You’re assuming this is a menstrual issue,” she continued, adding, “But it’s so much bigger than that.”

The new name, developed by a coalition of more than 50 patient and professional organizations, including the Endocrine Society, better reflects the full scope of the condition after the previous name reduced a complex, long-term hormonal and endocrine disorder to a misunderstanding about “cysts” and a narrow focus on ovaries that ultimately contributed to missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment, the organization said in a release.

For nearly a century, Dr. Rahman said, the condition has largely been treated as only a menstrual or fertility issue, contributing to dismissals in care and delayed diagnoses — problems that already disproportionately impact Black women navigating the healthcare system. Many of the condition’s related complications, including insulin resistance, heart disease, and certain cancers, disproportionately affect Black women and other women of color. With the new name and broader understanding that this is a metabolic condition, more providers may begin recognizing symptoms earlier and treating patients more holistically.

“The reality is, anybody that treats a person that has a uterus or ovaries, a vagina — they were born with these organs — they should be able to treat these conditions and help patients get the care they need,” Rahman explained.

“So now that we know this is a full multi-system disorder, that this is an inflammatory process — it affects our mental health, it affects our heart health, it affects our skin health. It affects so many different arenas that almost anyone should be able to help patients at least understand what this diagnosis is,” she said.

The condition, which is characterized by high androgen levels, ovulation issues, and metabolic dysfunction, is nuanced from person to person, Dr. Rahman explained. According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms can include irregular periods, acne, and weight gain, and it can increase the risk of diabetes. However, no two patients necessarily experience it the same way.

Before the name change, this often meant that symptoms were overlooked if patients did not have ovarian cysts or other more commonly associated symptoms. The condition is considered by many experts to be significantly underdiagnosed.

“It’s really important to understand the power in the name,” Dr. Rahman said, adding that the shift marks a “powerful” change in the medical world’s thinking and understanding of the condition.

“But now let’s do something about it,” she continued. “We have a name change. Now people need to be more proactive in screening their patients, in intervening early, and also in giving research funding in this area. We still have a lot of work to do in women’s health when it comes to these inflammatory conditions, and so we really need to be a little more nuanced about it.”