JERSEY — Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), effective 12 May. The International PCOS Network instituted the change to better reflect the condition’s systemic nature beyond the ovaries.

The International PCOS Network said it hoped the name change would improve understanding and help with treatment and diagnoses. The new designation aims to acknowledge that the condition affects multiple body systems, not just reproductive organs.

Jessica Pinel, a nutritionist and chair of PCOS Jersey, welcomed the update. “We know that it can be fatigue, hair growth in unwanted places, acne, brain fog even, irregular periods and infertility. It is that full-body condition with a range of different symptoms and, hopefully, [the name change] allows more women to get support and treatment for that range of different symptoms because the condition affects us in unique ways,” she said. Pinel added that the term PCOS “limited the condition to having an effect on women's ovaries, whereas we know that it is a full body condition.”

Dr Jessica Langtree-Marsh, a Jersey GP, supported the rebranding, stating, “The name of PCOS acknowledged that the condition only really affected the ovaries, yet we know it's an all-body condition. So the rebranded PMOS is trying to appreciate that it affects women more generally rather than just the ovaries, so that it's a whole body condition.” She noted that while the new name “doesn't exactly roll off the tongue,” it moves away from focusing solely on the ovaries.

Langtree-Marsh emphasized that PMOS remains “hugely under-researched and hugely misunderstood.” She criticized the historical tendency to treat PCOS only when fertility issues arise: “I think PCOS is widely overlooked, and we see it as just simply: 'Come back when you want to have a baby and we'll fix it then.' Actually, we need to look at this as a lifespan condition.”

Pinel, who was diagnosed with PCOS three years ago after spending more than £3,000 on treatment, urged women to seek second opinions if dismissed by clinicians. “In terms of diagnosis, you are always entitled to a second opinion. I wasn't diagnosed the first few times. I had those exploratory tests, so I sought out a secondary opinion because I know my body. If you feel like you're not being seen or heard, then please go and seek that second opinion because you deserve it.” She also cautioned against relying on social media for information, citing widespread misinformation on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook: “We can't just put the onus on the women themselves to seek out that sort of education - there is so much misinformation online, on TikTok, Instagram, even Facebook. If that's where you're seeking out knowledge... we've got to be really, really careful.”