For decades it was called PCOS — polycystic ovary syndrome. The name was never quite right: many people with the condition don’t have cysts at all, and the label put the focus on the ovaries when the condition reaches across the whole endocrine and metabolic system.
In May 2026, a global consensus of professional organisations — convened across endocrinology and reproductive medicine and published in The Lancet — adopted a new name: PMOS, Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. The new name reflects what clinicians and researchers have understood for years: this is a whole-body, metabolic and endocrine condition, not simply an ovarian one.
What actually changed
The name changed. The shift to “PMOS” is a clearer, more accurate description of the condition. Naming matters: it shapes how the condition is researched, explained, and understood — and a better name can mean less confusion and less stigma.
What didn’t change
You did not change. Your cycles, your symptoms, your history, and your relationship with your own body are exactly what they were the day before the announcement. The criteria your doctor uses, and the options you discuss together, don’t transform overnight — the transition to the new name is expected to roll out gradually over years. If you were diagnosed with PCOS, that diagnosis still describes you; it simply has a more accurate name now.
Why Vera uses “PMOS (formerly PCOS)”
Vera is built for this condition, and we want the language to be both current and findable. So you’ll see “PMOS (formerly PCOS)” throughout — the new official name, with the familiar one alongside it, so nothing feels lost in the change. Most importantly, the way Vera treats your cycle hasn’t changed: long and variable cycles are normal for you, and that’s exactly how Vera tracks them.
Sources
Announcements dated 12 May 2026.