Holistic Antenatal Pathways and Empowerment in PMOS Pregnancy (HOPE-PMOS)
Program Team
Evidence & Translation
Holistic Antenatal Pathways and Empowerment in Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) Pregnancy
Understanding the Challenge of Pregnancy care for Women with PMOS
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), previously known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), is one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women. It affects one in eight women globally1, and up to 1 in 5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women2. Yet despite how common it is, PMOS is frequently missed, including during pregnancy.
This matters because pregnancy with PMOS carries real risks. Women with PMOS have a much higher chance of pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes, high blood pressure in pregnancy (pre‑eclampsia), and complications for their baby such as pre‑term birth or restricted growth.
These risks are preventable, but only when PMOS is recognised early and managed appropriately.
Current antenatal care routinely fails to identify PMOS. Only about 2–4% of women are identified with PMOS by doctors during pregnancy3, 4. Most healthcare providers also receive little to no specific training on how to manage it. As a result, an enormous opportunity to protect mothers and babies is lost.
Solving the Problem with HOPE-PMOS
Funded by Australia’s Medical Research Future Fund, HOPE-PMOS unites women with PMOS, health services, and clinicians in co-designing pregnancy care that is evidence-based and built around lived experience. Developed with women as active partners rather than passive recipients, the program aims to transform how PMOS is identified and managed, and to deliver safer pregnancies for mothers and babies nationwide.
HOPE‑PMOS is guided by five core aims:
- Identify PMOS earlier – so women receive the right care from the start of pregnancy
- Determine what works – why researching on prevention and treatment of pregnancy complications
- Understand where care falls short – to address the gaps that leave women without adequate support
- Design better care, together – codesigning a new model of care in pregnancy with women and clinicians
- Scale what works – implementing the model, supported by clinician training, digital tools and resources
Implementation & Impact
HOPE-PMOS is aiming to transform pregnancy care in PMOS by:
- Continually bringing together clinical data, women’s experiences, and research evidence to drive real‑world changes in care.
- Co‑designing a woman‑centred, stigma‑free model of care that reflects lived experience and strengthens pregnancy care.
Policy Implications
- Ensuring Consistent Antenatal Care: Advocating for clear, consistent pregnancy‑care guidelines that require Clinicians to routinely check for PMOS and monitor for any chance of complications.
- Ongoing PMOS Pregnancy Care: Using the latest evidence to support federal and state health departments to adopt continuous-improvement “Learning Health System” frameworks to improve care for high-risk pregnancies.
Contact
Email enquiries can be sent to HOPE-PMOS@monash.edu
References
- Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven J, et al. Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Fertil Steril 2023;120(4):767-793. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.07.025.
- Boyle JA, Cunningham J, O’Dea K, Dunbar T, Norman RJ. Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in a sample of Indigenous women in Darwin, Australia. Med J Aust 2012;196(1):62-6. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22256938).
- Bahri Khomami M, Shorakae S, Hashemi S, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Nat Commun 2024;15(1):5591. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49749-1.
- Bahri Khomami M, Hashemi S, Shorakae S, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of birth outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Nat Commun 2024;15(1):5592. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49752-6.