The name, precisely

  • Old name: polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS (in French syndrome des ovaires polykystiques, SOPK).
  • New international name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS1. It was adopted by consensus and published online in The Lancet on 12 May 20262.
  • In French: “syndrome métabolique ovarien polyendocrinien”, or SMOP, the most common form3. A variant, “syndrome ovarien métabolique polyendocrinien” (SOMP), also exists4.
  • What does not change: the diagnostic criteria and the approach to care5.
  • How long the two names will coexist: about three years6.

What each word means

  • Polyendocrine: “endocrine” refers to the glands that produce hormones. The syndrome affects several hormonal balances, including that of androgens7.
  • Metabolic: it also concerns the way the body uses energy, in particular insulin and sugar8.
  • Ovarian: the ovaries are still involved, but the name no longer mentions “cysts”9.

The specialists chose these three words to reflect the fact that the syndrome affects several systems of the body, not just the ovaries10.

Why change the name?

According to the consensus publication, the old name was inaccurate. It suggested ovarian cysts, left the hormonal and metabolic dimensions of the syndrome in the shadows, and contributed to delays in diagnosis, fragmented care and stigma11.

Yet these “cysts” are not a feature of the syndrome: what can be seen on ultrasound corresponds to follicles whose development has stopped, and a diagnosis can be made without them9. The syndrome is also associated with insulin resistance8 and with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes12.

The new name was chosen at the end of a long international process that involved organisations of patients, clinicians and researchers, as well as thousands of people with the condition13.

How is it said in French?

There is not yet a single French form. The most widespread in the institutional sources we consulted is “syndrome métabolique ovarien polyendocrinien” (SMOP): it is the form used by Inserm, by RTS in French-speaking Switzerland, and by the Assurance Maladie, with slightly different punctuation3.

However, the French-language documents distributed by the team behind the consensus use a different word order: “syndrome ovarien métabolique polyendocrinien” (SOMP)4.

As of 18 October 2026, we had not found any official position from the Haute Autorité de santé, the Collège national des gynécologues et obstétriciens français or Swiss medical societies on which French form to adopt. We will update this page if that changes.

What does not change

According to the team that coordinates the international guideline, the content of the 2023 recommendations, the diagnostic criteria and the approach to care remain the same5.

If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, the diagnosis is still valid: only the name is changing.

A gradual transition

The two names will coexist for about three years; the next update of the international guideline, planned for 2028, is to use only the new name6. Steps are also under way to include it in the International Classification of Diseases14.

During this period, your medical reports, clinicians and information websites may use either name. You can say “PCOS” or “PMOS” at an appointment: both refer to the same thing.

A name still under discussion

Not everyone agrees with the new name: criticisms have been published in medical journals15. This debate is about words, not about the reality of what people with the condition experience.

How we write it

We write “PCOS (PMOS)”: “PCOS” because it is the word most people know and search for today, “PMOS” because it is the name the transition is moving towards. We will adapt our pages as the transition goes on. Published versions remain dated: we do not rewrite old texts without saying so.

Sources for this page

Each number leads to a neutral statement and to the documents that support it. We summarise these sources in our own words; the links open the original documents.

  1. 1

    An international consensus process selected “polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome” (PMOS) as the new English name for the syndrome previously called “polycystic ovary syndrome” (PCOS).

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  2. 2

    Consensus was reached in February 2026 and the main publication appeared online in The Lancet on 12 May 2026.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  3. 3

    In French, the form most used by the institutional sources consulted is “syndrome métabolique ovarien polyendocrinien” (SMOP), used in particular by Inserm, by the Assurance Maladie (with slightly different punctuation) and by RTS in Switzerland.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    An observation of usage as of 18 October 2026, not an official terminology: no position from the HAS, the CNGOF or Swiss learned societies had been found by that date.

    Back to the text
  4. 4

    The French-language documents distributed by the Monash team use another form: “syndrome ovarien métabolique polyendocrinien” (SOMP).

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  5. 5

    According to the team that coordinates the international guideline, the name change does not alter the content of the 2023 recommendations, the diagnostic criteria or the approach to care.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  6. 6

    The leaders of the consensus plan a three-year transition period during which the two names coexist; the 2028 update of the international guideline is to use only the new name.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    The Lancet abstract mentions a transition period without specifying its length; the length comes from the Monash documents.

    Back to the text
  7. 7

    The WHO describes a common hormonal disorder in which higher-than-normal androgen levels can lead to irregular periods, ovulation disorders, infertility, excessive hair growth and/or acne.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  8. 8

    Insulin resistance is recognised as an important feature of the syndrome, but the insulin tests available in practice are not recommended routinely.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  9. 9

    The “cysts” suggested by the old name are not a feature of the syndrome: the appearance of the ovaries on ultrasound corresponds to follicles whose development has stopped, and cysts are not needed for the diagnosis.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  10. 10

    The terms “polyendocrine”, “metabolic” and “ovarian” were chosen to reflect the involvement of several body systems: the new name drops the mention of cysts and describes a dysfunction that is at once hormonal (endocrine), metabolic and ovarian.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  11. 11

    According to the consensus publication, the old name was inaccurate: it suggested pathological ovarian cysts, obscured the hormonal and metabolic dimensions of the syndrome, and contributed to delays in diagnosis, fragmented care and stigma.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  12. 12

    Regardless of age and body mass index, the risk of blood sugar disorders and type 2 diabetes is increased.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  13. 13

    The process involved 56 academic, clinical and patient organisations, and gathered responses from 14,360 people with the condition and health professionals from all regions of the world.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Other Monash documents mention more than 22,000 responses: we use the figures from the main publication.

    Back to the text
  14. 14

    Steps are under way with the WHO to include the new name in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  15. 15

    The new name is not unanimously accepted: criticisms were published in medical journals in 2026.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    The existence of these publications has been checked; their arguments have not been analysed here.

    Back to the text