https://avaosborneauthor16.substack.com/p/the-impact-of-the-name-change-of
Today marks a significant milestone in women’s health care, as PCOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary system, is being renamed to PMOS, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. This one word difference can help millions of women get diagnosed with the help they need, as you no longer need the hormonal cysts to be impacted by this. As someone who has been struggling with this condition since I was seven, I had no idea that this was happening to me, as all my labs were normal but with something missing. I began to develop cysts on my face, hair pretty much everywhere, and a reaction to any dairy or highly processed food. I spent 10 years wondering what was wrong with me, until when I turned 15, I self diagnosed. Now I manage the treatment on my own and I am easier on my body than I ever was before. This condition also impacts mood, with women with PMOS are four times more likely to experience depression and six more times likely to suffer from anxiety compared to those without the condition, according to PMC. This is rooted from the high androgens, chronic inflammation, and the increase of obesity, infertility, acne, and hirsutism. My whole life I have struggled with anxiety, particularly health anxiety, and as I connect the dots I realize that my PMOS is a key player in the constant brain fog and battles I fought mentally. People with PMOS also have a higher risk of eating disorders, particularly binge ED or bulimia nervosa. In 2024-2025, I experienced a massive fear of food that took me over a year to recover due to the advice that both doctors and dermatologists give online that you have to constantly eat healthy at all times to heal. I was misled, and in response, I lost my period for a year, leading to massive physical pain and anxiety. In class through middle school to my freshman year, I was constantly in pain sitting at my desk due to the massive cysts on my face. I fell behind in school freshman year, frequently failing tests due to the worry that consumed me that stemmed from my broken body. In recovery, I had to quit my favorite sport, track and cross country, and couldn’t explain the real reason to my coaches or teammates why I quit due to the lack of knowledge or emotional support that revolves around women’s healthcare. I was very upset due to this, but instead I learned to be less ashamed of the foods I ate or the imperfections that poke my body with. Today marks one year since my official diagnosis, and if I had known about this four years ago, I would be less scared and ashamed of my body. I wouldn’t be clouded by constant insecurity, physical and mental pain, and the fear that I’d always be broken. I learned to love myself after learning that I need extra care and patience due to the high levels of stress I was going through, and after taking inositol and a zero dairy diet ( because birth control isn’t always the solution) my skin and pain healed, not completely, but to the point where I feel confident enough to go outside and look at people in the eye without feeling guilty. The summer of my freshman year was the most painful I’ve ever been through, and the summer before my junior year, I felt as confident and happy that I ever could be. I learned how to make friends and start conversations with more people more efficiently, I wasn’t as scared to go out more, and I can eat a dessert or two without worrying about gaining a cyst the next day. I hope the next generation of women and teen girls get the help they need after this new name change, as more research is finally being funded and more issues are being less ignored. I will talk about this issue as much as I need to to help people understand and get the information they need to feel less alone. I hope in the next few years, girls will be able to explain to their friends, teachers, coaches, or families that they are suffering without embarrassment or shame. Because even though there are tremendous gaps in women’s healthcare research, the new name shines a new light on the new possibilities of future aid and education. Maybe one day this will be taught in schools or asked by doctors, as the physical and emotional toll hurts like no other, despite the condition being less common. And to the little girl that always wondered what was wrong with her body, she wasn’t broken, but the knowledge and understanding surrounding women’s healthcare was. I’ve turned into a brand new person after my diagnosis, focusing more on everything I overcame versus what I’ll always struggle with. Despite the imperfections I was given due to this condition, the constant fight I give not only shows my strength, but gives me a purpose. I want to help other people with difficulties like this through this platform, because pain isn’t something to smile, or shrug off.
