There's a new name for a condition affecting more than 170 million women worldwide.
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) is the new name for the condition previously known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) after it was wrongly believed to be "all about ovarian cysts".
The condition, which affects one in eight women worldwide, is characterised by fluctuations in hormones, impacts on weight, metabolic and mental health, skin and the reproductive system.
Its former name reduced a complex, long-term hormonal or endocrine disorder to a misunderstanding about "cysts" and a focus on ovaries.
That misunderstanding contributed to missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment, according to Helena Teede, director of the Monash Centre for Health Research & Implementation.
Professor Teede, an endocrinologist at Monash Health, led the name change process after spending decades researching the condition and seeing the patient impacts first-hand.
"While Monash-led international guidelines have advanced awareness and care, a name change was the next critical step towards recognition and improvement in the long-term impacts of this condition," Prof Teede said.
The name change journey, published on Tuesday in The Lancet, took 14 years of global collaboration between experts and those with lived experience.
Prof Teede led the international effort to rename PCOS, involving the International Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society (AE-PCOS Society) and 56 patient and professional organisations.
The need for a name change is supported by findings, including the fact that the condition does not involve an increase in abnormal ovarian cysts.
The patient-focused initiative gathered more than 22,000 survey responses.
The new name will be fully implemented in the 2028 International Guideline update, following a three-year international education and awareness campaign.
Prof Teede said the new name was based on principles including patient benefit, scientific accuracy, and avoidance of stigma.
"This change was driven with and for those affected by the condition and we are proud to have arrived at a new name that finally accurately reflects the complexity of the condition," she said.
"Make no mistake, this is a landmark moment that will lead to desperately needed worldwide advancements in clinical practice and research."
Lorna Berry, an Australian woman who has Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome and played a key role in the renaming process, said the result will be life-changing.
"This is about accountability and progress," she said.
"It is about my daughters, their daughters, and the countless women yet to be born.
"We deserve clarity, understanding, and equitable healthcare from the very beginning."
