Dr Vanessa Harry
In the medical profession we often focus on diagnosis and treatment. But sometimes, the words we use matter just as much. A name can shape how a disease is understood, how quickly it is diagnosed and even how patients feel about living with it.
That is why a recent change in women’s health has attracted international attention. The condition long known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has officially been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).
The change followed more than a decade of consultation involving experts, professional societies, and thousands of patients worldwide. The goal was simple: choose a name that better reflects what the condition actually is.
For years, many women diagnosed with the condition do not have cysts at all, while others may have polycystic-looking ovaries without having the syndrome. The old name led many people to believe the condition was primarily a gynaecological problem involving the ovaries.
In reality, it is a complex disorder involving hormones, metabolism, fertility, skin health, mental health, and long-term risks such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The new term, PMOS, highlights these broader hormonal (“polyendocrine”) and metabolic features. Advocates hope the new name will reduce confusion, improve diagnosis, encourage more comprehensive care, and help women receive treatment earlier.
Interestingly, this is far from the first time that medicine has changed a name.
One of the best-known examples is the condition once called “juvenile diabetes.” As doctors learned more about the disease, they realised it could occur at different ages and that the key issue was autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells. The name evolved to Type 1 Diabetes, a term that is more scientifically accurate and avoids confusion.
Similarly, “adult-onset diabetes” became Type 2 Diabetes because increasing numbers of children and adolescents were developing the condition. The old name no longer matched reality.
Another example is what was once called “mongolism,” a term now recognised as inaccurate and offensive. It was replaced by Down Syndrome, named after the physician who first described it. The change reflected both scientific understanding and respect for patients.
More recently, “manic depression” became bipolar disorder, a term that better describes the alternating mood states experienced by patients and carries less stigma.
Even infectious diseases have undergone name changes. During the early years of the AIDS epidemic, terminology evolved as understanding improved. Today, doctors use more precise language that distinguishes between HIV Infection and the advanced disease state known as AIDS.
Why do these changes happen? Usually for three reasons.
First, scientific accuracy. As research advances, we often discover that a disease is far more complex than originally thought. Second, reducing stigma. Some older medical terms may unintentionally cause embarrassment, blame, or discrimination. Third, improving communication. A clearer name helps patients, families, healthcare professionals, and policymakers understand the condition more easily.
Of course, changing a name does not instantly change outcomes. Women with PMOS will still face many of the same challenges they did when it was called PCOS. The diagnostic criteria and treatments remain largely unchanged for now. However, names influence conversations, and conversations influence care.
As a doctor, I welcome efforts to make medical terminology more accurate and patient centred. When a name better reflects the reality of a condition, it helps everyone—from the newly diagnosed patient searching online for answers to the researcher seeking the next breakthrough.
