Name change that can transform lives for lakhs of girls in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 18: Lakhs of women in Kashmir, for decades, have quietly battled a condition long mislabeled as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). 
Now, a fundamental shift is underway in how the disorder is understood, diagnosed, and treated, necessitating a name change. 

For the lakhs of affected here, this is more than just a name change – a new hope on the horizon.

An international consortium of experts, patient advocates, and organisations announced in The Lancet on May 12, 2026, that PCOS is now officially Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). 

The change is the result of over a decade of global consultation involving more than 22,000 people and directed at dispelling the longstanding misconceptions. 

The old name overly focused on “cysts” on the ovaries, a feature that is neither universal nor central to the condition. 
It essentially downplayed its broader metabolic and hormonal roots.

PMOS highlights the condition’s true nature: a complex interplay of endocrine disruptions, insulin resistance, androgen excess, and metabolic issues that affect the whole body — increasing risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, infertility, anxiety, and more. 
It affects an estimated 1 in 8 women worldwide, or over 170 million. 

In Kashmir, the stakes are especially high. 

Studies, including research led by experts like Dr Muhammad Ashraf Ganie, have documented prevalence rates of around 28.9 percent (by NIH criteria) to nearly 30 percent or higher in parts of the Valley — significantly above national average of about 19.3 percent, which impacts roughly 44 million women. 

Factors such as genetics, lifestyle changes, diet, and environmental influences in the region are believed to contribute to this disproportionate burden.
“This is not just a label. It’s validation,” says Dr Amina Khan, a Srinagar-based endocrinologist who treats hundreds of young patients every year. “Many girls come in thinking they have simple ovarian cysts or that it’s ‘just a fertility issue.’ Doctors sometimes dismissed symptoms if ultrasounds didn’t show the classic ‘string of pearls’ appearance. The new name reframes it as a lifelong metabolic and hormonal condition requiring comprehensive care – lifestyle intervention, insulin-sensitising medications, mental health support, and long-term monitoring for diabetes and heart risks.” 
For 22-year-old student Fatima from Anantnag, who has struggled with irregular periods, weight gain, acne, and hirsutism since her teens, the change brings hope. 

“I was told it was PCOS and given pills for periods. No one explained the bigger picture – the fatigue, the mood swings, the fear of diabetes running in my family. If doctors now see it as PMOS, maybe treatment will finally address everything, not just my ovaries,” she says.
Experts say the rename could reduce diagnostic delays, combat stigma (including weight-related blame), attract more research funding, and encourage holistic, multidisciplinary care. 

In Kashmir, where awareness campaigns and specialized clinics are expanding at places like SKIMS, this global shift arrives at a critical time. 
Implementation will take years – with the new name expected to fully enter systems like the International Classification of Diseases by 2028 – but local health authorities are already preparing. Awareness drives, training for primary care doctors, and integration with ongoing non-communicable disease programs could make a tangible difference for the next generation. 

As one Kashmiri gynecologist put it, “For lakhs of daughters in our homes, this name change is a quiet revolution – moving from confusion and fragmented care to clarity and hope.”