PCOS glossary
Medical words and everyday Taglish terms you will hear on the way to a PCOS (now called PMOS) diagnosis, in plain language.
Editorially reviewed on October 29, 2026. [TODO: medical reviewer] How we review
- acanthosis nigricans
- Darker, velvety skin in folds like the neck or underarms, linked to insulin resistance.
- AMH
- Anti-Mullerian hormone. In adults it can be used instead of an ultrasound to check the ovaries (2023 Guideline).
- androgens
- Hormones like testosterone. Everyone has them; in PCOS they are often higher.
- anovulation
- Not releasing an egg in a cycle. The main reason periods become irregular in PCOS.
- anti-androgen
- A medicine that blocks androgen effects, such as spironolactone.
- balbas Taglish
- Beard or chin hair; used for facial hair growth in PCOS.
- CPA/EE
- Cyproterone acetate plus ethinylestradiol, the formula in Diane-35 and Althea.
- delayed Taglish
- Taglish for a late period, often said as 'delayed ako'.
- HbA1c
- A blood test showing average blood sugar over about 3 months.
- hirsutism
- Coarse, dark hair in places where men usually grow it, such as the chin or chest.
- hormonal imbalance
- A loose term Filipinos often use for PCOS and other hormone problems. Ask your doctor which hormone and which test.
- insulin resistance
- When the body needs more insulin than usual to keep blood sugar steady.
- letrozole
- The first-line medicine for helping ovulation in PCOS (Guideline 5.3.1).
- mens Taglish
- Short for menstruation; your period.
- OGTT
- Oral glucose tolerance test: you drink 75 g of glucose and blood sugar is checked over 2 hours. The most accurate glucose test in PCOS. Learn more
- ovulation induction
- Using medicine such as letrozole to help the ovaries release an egg.
- panot Taglish
- Bald or thinning spot on the scalp.
- phenotype
- One of four official PCOS types (A to D), based on which Rotterdam features you have. Learn more
- PMOS
- Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for PCOS since May 2026. Learn more
- regla Taglish
- Period or menstruation.
- Rotterdam criteria
- The diagnostic rule for PCOS: two of three features (irregular ovulation, high androgens, polycystic ovaries or high AMH), after ruling out other causes.
- SHBG
- Sex hormone binding globulin, a protein that carries testosterone. Used to estimate free testosterone.
- tagyawat Taglish
- Pimples or acne.
- transrectal ultrasound
- A pelvic scan through the rectum, offered to people who are not sexually active.
- TVS
- Transvaginal ultrasound: a scan of the womb and ovaries through the vagina.