Recently, the condition formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome – PCOS for short – was renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. More than 50 organisations were involved in the process of developing the new name. Researchers say they made the change to more accurately address how the condition affects people, calling the old term “inaccurate”. Here, we asked Eve Lepage, a reproductive health specialist at period cycle tracker Clue, for her thoughts on why the change was needed, whether she thinks it’s a good idea, and the signs of PMOS. Why was PCOS changed to PMOS? The new name describes how the condition works more precisely, Lepage explained. PCOS implies that the main issue involves cysts in people’s ovaries. But, Lepage said, decades of research suggest it’s more complicated than that: PMOS can affect a variety of other systems “including metabolism, cardiovascular health, and mental health”. Additionally, the expert explained that “one of the biggest misconceptions about PCOS is built into the name itself: the ‘cysts’ aren’t actually cysts at all”. She continued: …