In recognition of PMOS Awareness Month, Contemporary OB/GYN, Contemporary Pediatrics, and Patient Care Online are spotlighting a 5-part video Special Report examining the global consensus renaming polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).^1,2

The series, moderated by Heather Appelbaum, MD, FACOG, features Melanie Cree, MD, PhD, and Michelle M. Maresca, MD, unpacking what the shift means for diagnosis, management, and patient care across the reproductive lifespan. The first episode is at the end of this article.

The name change stems from a health policy published in The Lancet on May 12, 2026, describing an "unprecedented, rigorous, multistep global consensus process" involving 56 academic, clinical, and patient organizations and survey input from more than 14,300 people with the condition and multidisciplinary health professionals worldwide.^2,3 The authors wrote that the term PCOS was "inaccurate, implying pathological ovarian cysts, obscuring diverse endocrine and metabolic features, and contributing to delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, and stigma, while curtailing research and policy framing."

The new name retains "ovarian" to reflect ovulatory dysfunction and infertility risk, while adding "polyendocrine" to capture the multiple interacting hormonal disturbances involved and "metabolic" to acknowledge insulin resistance, obesity, and long-term cardiovascular and diabetes risk.

In the series' opening episode, Appelbaum and Cree discuss how the rebranding is intended to broaden clinical awareness beyond reproductive specialties. Cree, who helped shape the renaming process, explains that the new terminology is designed to prevent metabolic risk from being overshadowed by reproductive concerns, and notes that adolescent diagnosis has never relied on ovarian ultrasound, a persistent point of confusion under the old name.

The panel also reviews the transition timeline laid out in The Lancet policy: a 3-year roll-out supported by clinician and patient education, integration into electronic health records and international classification systems, and updated global guidelines expected by 2028.

Subsequent episodes in the series address how PMOS is diagnosed in adolescents, when primary care should manage the condition vs refer to a specialist, which laboratory tests meaningfully change management, and where GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy fits into the future of care.

Clinicians across obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, endocrinology, and primary care are encouraged to watch the full series for a deeper look at how this terminology shift is expected to improve earlier recognition and more comprehensive care for patients with PMOS.

EP. 1: From PCOS to PMOS: A welcome and more inclusive name

Click here to watch the next episode of our Special Report series on PMOS.

References:

1. Global consensus renames PCOS to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). Contemporary OB/GYN. Published May 12, 2026. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/global-consensus-renames-pcos-to-polyendocrine-metabolic-ovarian-syndrome-pmos-
2. Special Report: PCOS to PMOS: A long-awaited change. Contemporary OB/GYN. Published August 31, 2026. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/special-report/special-report-pcos-to-pmos-a-long-awaited-change
3. Teede HJ, Khomami MB, Morman R, et al. Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process. The Lancet. Published online May 12, 2026. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00717-8/fulltext