Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PMOS) as of May 12, following concerns that the original term placed undue emphasis on "cysts" and ovaries, when the syndrome encompasses a broader range of symptoms. The International PCOS Network stated that the change aims to enhance understanding and facilitate better treatment and diagnosis of the condition.
According to the NHS, the fluid-filled sacs that can be present in the ovaries with PMOS are not actually cysts. The renaming is intended to guide healthcare professionals, patients, and their support systems toward a more comprehensive understanding of the syndrome.
Briony May Williams, a television presenter who gained fame after competing on The Great British Bake Off, shared that the delay in her own diagnosis may have inadvertently led to her television career. "Hopefully lots of people out there who will be suffering with PMOS will get a diagnosis sooner and get more understanding from the healthcare professionals they see, from their family, from their support system," Williams said, expressing emotion about the name change.
Williams recalled experiencing stress-baking when she became ill. She reflected that if the condition had been known by its new name back in 2013, her diagnosis might have been quicker. "If [the delay] hadn't have happened, then so many other wonderful things wouldn't have happened," she added.