PCOS Has Been Renamed PMOS — Here's What That Means For You
Written by Jessica Diakoumakos, Naturopath (BHSc Naturopathy) · Emba Wellness, Melbourne
On 12 May 2026, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was officially renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) in a landmark global consensus paper published in The Lancet. The name change — led by Professor Helena Teede of Monash University in Melbourne and supported by 56 leading academic, clinical, and patient organisations worldwide — follows more than a decade of research, advocacy, and over 22,000 survey responses from patients and clinicians across the globe. The new name reflects what researchers and clinicians have known for years: that this condition is not primarily about ovarian cysts, but is instead a complex, multisystem hormonal and metabolic disorder. This post explains what changed, why it matters, and what it means for you if you have — or suspect you have — this condition.
I'm going to be honest with you. If someone had told me ten years ago that taking my shoes off at the park was a legitimate clinical intervention, I probably would have smiled politely and internally rolled my eyes.
And yet here I am — a Melbourne naturopath with a science degree — sitting barefoot on the grass at least once a week and genuinely believing in it. Not because it feels nice (although it does), but because I've read the research, and the mechanism makes sense.
So let's talk about grounding. Not the crystals-and-vibes version. The biophysics version.
What Is Grounding, Actually?
Grounding — also called earthing — refers to direct physical contact between the human body and the Earth's surface. Bare feet on grass, soil, sand, or rock. That's it. No equipment required.
The science behind it centres on one key concept: electron transfer.
The Earth carries a natural negative electrical charge, continuously replenished by lightning strikes, solar radiation, and atmospheric dynamics. When your bare skin makes contact with the Earth's surface, free electrons transfer from the ground into your body. And those electrons have measurable physiological effects (Chevalier et al., 2012).
This isn't fringe theory. It's been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, the Journal of Inflammation Research, and Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.
Why Do Electrons Matter? (This Is Where It Gets Really Interesting)
Here's where the mechanism really clicks — and where I think most people's understanding of grounding stops short.
Free radicals — technically called reactive oxygen species, or ROS — are positively charged molecules produced constantly as a byproduct of normal metabolism. Your cells generate billions of them every day. In normal amounts, they're fine. They're actually part of your immune response. But in excess — driven by chronic stress, poor diet, environmental toxins, and ongoing inflammation — they start causing oxidative damage to healthy tissue.
You know what neutralises a positively charged molecule? A negatively charged electron.
The Earth's surface is, quite literally, an unlimited supply of free electrons. When you make direct contact with it, those electrons enter the body and neutralise free radicals — functioning as a natural, built-in antioxidant (Oschman et al., 2015). Not a supplement. Not a protocol. Just physics.
Here's what makes this even more remarkable: your body actually has a dedicated system for delivering these electrons. Research by Oschman et al. (2015) describes what they call the "living matrix" — a body-wide network of collagen and connective tissue that functions as a biological semiconductor. Think of it like an electrical highway that runs through every part of your body, capable of transporting electrons from the Earth's surface to wherever they're needed — including directly to sites of inflammation or injury.
This isn't metaphor. Collagen is a semiconductor. The ground substance surrounding it is described in the research as a vast whole-body redox system — essentially a giant electron reservoir that, when topped up via contact with the Earth, puts your body in a state of what the researchers call "inflammatory preparedness."
That means your body is primed and ready to neutralise damage before it becomes a problem.
The Inflammatory Barricade — And Why This Matters So Much
This is the part of the research I find genuinely fascinating, and I don't think it gets nearly enough attention.
When your body experiences an injury — or chronic, low-grade inflammation — your immune system sends neutrophils (white blood cells) to the site to break down damaged tissue and clear out pathogens. This is normal and necessary. But those neutrophils produce ROS to do their job, and if there aren't enough electrons available to neutralise the ROS quickly, those free radicals start damaging the healthy tissue surrounding the injury site.
This collateral damage causes something called the inflammatory barricade — a wall of fibrin and connective tissue that forms around the injured area. It's the body's attempt to contain the damage, but it also ends up blocking antioxidants and repair cells from getting in. The result? A pocket of incompletely resolved inflammation that can sit there, smouldering, for a very long time (Oschman et al., 2015).
Sound familiar? This is what we're seeing in chronic inflammatory conditions — autoimmune disease, persistent gut inflammation, hormonal disruption, chronic pain.
Now here's the compelling part: in grounded subjects, this appears to play out very differently. Research using medical infrared imaging showed that inflammation began to visibly subside within just 30 minutes of grounding. Grounded subjects had significantly fewer circulating neutrophils and lymphocytes following injury — suggesting the tissue damage resolved more quickly, with less collateral damage, and without the formation of that inflammatory barricade (Oschman et al., 2015).
The researchers' conclusion was striking: the inflammatory barricade itself may be a consequence of electron deficiency. In other words, being disconnected from the Earth's electrons might actually be making us worse at healing.
What Does PMOS Stand For — And Why?
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome.Each word was chosen deliberately:Polyendocrine — recognises that the condition involves multiple interacting hormonal disturbances, not a single hormonal abnormality. Insulin, androgens, LH, and neuroendocrine hormones all play a role. This is not a condition of one hormone — it is a condition of how multiple hormonal systems interact with each other.Metabolic — acknowledges the inherent metabolic nature of the condition, including insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular risk, and metabolic syndrome risk. These are not side effects of PMOS — they are core features of it.Ovarian — maintains reference to the ovaries, which remain central to the condition's reproductive and hormonal features, without overemphasising ovarian morphology or implying pathological cysts.Syndrome — preserved because the condition is defined by a cluster of features rather than a single cause or abnormality.
Why This Matters Clinically — And Why I've Been Saying This For Years
If you've read my other posts on this condition — particularly my complete guide to PCOS/PMOS — you'll recognise that everything the new name is trying to communicate is already central to how I approach this condition in clinical practice.I have never treated PMOS as a gynaecological condition. I treat it as a metabolic and endocrine condition that happens to have ovarian and reproductive consequences.I have always tested fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, not just reproductive hormones — because insulin resistance is present in up to 70–80% of women with this condition and is one of its primary drivers.I have always discussed the mental health burden of this condition — the anxiety, depression, body image distress, and eating disorder risk — because ignoring psychological health in PMOS management is a significant clinical failure.And I have always pushed back against the idea that the oral contraceptive pill is a "treatment" for this condition. It suppresses symptoms. It does not address the underlying metabolic and hormonal dysfunction.The new name validates every aspect of this approach. And more importantly, it means that when women walk into a GP's office with a PMOS diagnosis in the future, the name itself will prompt a broader, more appropriate clinical conversation.
What the Name Change Means For You
If you have already been diagnosed with PCOS: Your diagnosis is still valid. The condition hasn't changed — only its name has. Everything you know about your condition, your symptoms, and your treatment applies equally to PMOS. Over the next three years, you'll likely see both names used interchangeably as the transition happens across clinical guidelines, medical records, and health systems.If you've been dismissed or undertreated: The name change is specifically designed to address this. By removing the focus on ovarian cysts and replacing it with a name that emphasises hormonal and metabolic complexity, the new name should prompt more thorough diagnostic workups and broader treatment conversations. If your PMOS has never been assessed for insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk, or mental health — that conversation is now even more overdue.If you've been told "your ultrasound was normal so you don't have PCOS": This is one of the most important implications of the name change. The old name's emphasis on "polycystic" ovaries led to significant under-diagnosis when ultrasound findings were absent or inconclusive. The Rotterdam criteria — now further supported by the 2023 International Guidelines — require only two of three features for diagnosis. Ultrasound findings are just one of those features.If you're in the diagnostic process: The transition period means you may encounter both PCOS and PMOS in your medical records and clinical conversations for the next few years. They refer to the same condition. Don't let the terminology difference cause confusion about your care.
The Melbourne Connection
It's worth noting with genuine pride that this historic name change was led by Professor Helena Teede at Monash University in Melbourne — the same institution whose research underpins the international guidelines I reference in all my clinical PCOS/PMOS work.
Melbourne is at the forefront of global women's health research, and this name change is a reflection of that. The fact that the most rigorous disease-renaming process in medical history was led from our city, and has now changed how 170 million women worldwide will have their condition described, is remarkable.
“The name change from PCOS to PMOS is the most validating moment I have experienced as a naturopath working in this space. It confirms what we have always known clinically — that this is a metabolic and endocrine condition first, and an ovarian condition second. I hope this changes the conversations women have with every practitioner they see.”
What Emba Wellness Is Doing
I am updating all of my PMOS content to reflect the new name over the coming weeks. In the meantime, both PCOS and PMOS will be used throughout my blog to ensure women searching under either term can find the information they need.
My clinical approach to this condition has not changed — because the name change confirms rather than contradicts the way I have always understood and treated it. What I hope will change is the standard of care these women receive from the broader medical system.
Frequently Asked Questions
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PMOS stands for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. It is the new official name for the condition previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), renamed in a landmark global consensus published in The Lancet on 12 May 2026. The condition itself has not changed — only its name has.
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The old name was found to be inaccurate and harmful — implying pathological ovarian cysts that don't actually exist in the condition, obscuring its true metabolic and endocrine nature, and contributing to delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, and stigma. The new name more accurately reflects the condition's hormonal and metabolic complexity.
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Yes. PMOS and PCOS refer to the same condition. The name change is official as of 12 May 2026, following a decade-long global consensus process. During a three-year transition period, both names will be used in clinical and patient settings.
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Not immediately. The transition from PCOS to PMOS will happen gradually over approximately three years as clinical guidelines, medical education, and disease classification systems are updated worldwide. Your existing diagnosis remains valid.
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The clinical approach to PMOS does not change as a result of the name change — the same diagnostic criteria and treatment principles apply. However, the name change is intended to prompt broader, more accurate clinical conversations that address the full metabolic and endocrine picture rather than focusing narrowly on ovarian morphology.
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The name change was led by Professor Helena Teede of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, alongside international co-leads and representatives from 56 patient and professional organisations worldwide. It was published in The Lancet on 12 May 2026.
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Polyendocrine refers to the involvement of multiple interacting hormonal systems in the condition — including insulin, androgens, LH, and neuroendocrine hormones. It signals that PMOS is not a condition of one hormone but of how multiple hormonal systems interact and dysregulate together.
Want to Understand Your PMOS More Deeply?
If you've been diagnosed with PCOS or PMOS — or suspect you might have it — and want to understand what's actually driving your symptoms, I'd love to work with you.
At Emba Wellness, I take a comprehensive, root-cause approach to PMOS/PCOS — looking at the full hormonal and metabolic picture, not just reproductive markers.
I offer 1:1 consults in Melbourne and via telehealth across Australia.
Further Reading on PMOS/PCOS at Emba Wellness
About the Author
Jessica Diakoumakos | BHSc Naturopathy & BHSc Psychology Clinical Naturopath & Founder, Emba Wellness — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jess is a Melbourne-based clinical naturopath and founder of Emba Wellness.
She specialises in:
Gut health — IBS, SIBO, bloating, microbiome repair, leaky gut
Hormonal health — PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, perimenopause, post-pill recovery
Functional pathology — interpreting blood tests through a root-cause lens
Energy & thyroid — Hashimoto's, fatigue, burnout, adrenal dysregulation
Immune health — autoimmune conditions, chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation
Her approach is evidence-based and deeply personal. Having managed her own Hashimoto's thyroiditis through naturopathic medicine, Jess understands first-hand what it feels like to be dismissed by conventional medicine — and what it feels like to finally get answers.
Emba Wellness offers naturopathy consultations via Telehealth, across Australia.
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Teede, H. J., Piltonen, T. T., Dokras, A., Morman, R., & Global Name Change Consortium. (2026). Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00717-8
Teede, H. J., Tay, C. T., Laven, J. J. E., Dokras, A., Moran, L. J., Piltonen, T. T., Costello, M. F., Boivin, J., Redman, L. M., Boyle, J. A., Norman, R. J., Mousa, A., & Joham, A. E. (2023). Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 108(10), 2447–2469. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad463
All content published on the Emba Wellness blog is written by Jessica Diakoumakos and is intended for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified health practitioner before making changes to your health care.
