Why renaming this common hormonal disorder is a huge deal

Short Wave

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4.7 • 6.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2026

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

You probably know someone who has a condition that, until last week, was known as PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome. It affects one in eight reproductive-aged women. But despite it being such a common disorder, patients are often misdiagnosed and have delayed treatment. Now, medical professionals are trying to change that. After 15 years of work, the condition has been renamed to PMOS, or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. The new name reflects the real driver of the condition: disruptions in hormones. But how much can changing a name really do?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:10.3	What's in a name?
0:12.9	Seriously, because that's the question at the heart of today's episode on PCOS,
0:18.1	polycystic ovary syndrome.
0:20.4	For nearly the last decade and a half, Dr. Helena Teed, an endocrinologist at Monash University,
0:26.8	has been pushing to rename PCOS, a condition that affects roughly one and eight reproductive
0:32.7	aged women.
0:34.1	Because the name, it comes with some big problems.
0:37.8	For one, the cis in the name aren't actually cis.
0:41.5	A hundred years ago, when they were operating on women, they saw what they thought was cysts on the ovary that are not actually abnormal cyst.
0:48.5	And then later when they did ultrasound, they saw the same thing.
0:51.4	And science had not caught up at that time and discovered what they really were.
0:55.5	Their tiny immature follicles in people's ovaries.
0:58.9	But even if they were cis,
1:00.5	those aren't the primary issues for this condition
1:02.9	and aren't even required for a diagnosis
1:05.2	because the condition is driven by an array of hormonal disruptions.
1:09.7	Which means...
1:10.6	The old name was fundamentally incorrect.
1:14.8	So as of May 12, 26, say goodbye to PCOS, and say hello to...
1:20.9	PMOS, or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.
1:29.8	It's a name that captures the latest understanding of this disorder. It's genetic. And with it, people's hormones are disrupted, which, yes, can disrupt
	...

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