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Forum Guidelines Expanded: 7. Medical Advice
MonBon December 9th, 2018
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This post is a part of our series on expanded forum guidelines to help all users better understand the purpose of each guideline and for forum moderators to understand appropriate behavior and review examples of this rule in action.

My post was edited/deleted for medical advice. What does that mean?

6. Giving medical advice is not permitted. Medication and drug names may be shared, but precise dosages or suggestions to take specific medications may not.

Purpose of rule: to prevent diagnosis or self-diagnosis and avoid potentially damaging treatment advice. The purpose of this role is to maintain the boundary between professional and volunteer helps. Even those who are doctors in real life are not doctors while they are on 7 cups. We should not be encouraging people to try medications based on diagnosis or self-diagnosis.

Examples: if you have ADHD, taking xx mg of yy medication works wonders i've been taking xx mg of yy medication but it hasn't been helping you need to take more than xx mg of yy medication for it to be effective

Explanation: 7 Cups cannot provide professional prescriptions or diagnosis. While 7 Cups can provide users with information about various illnesses and treatments, it should never be used to diagnose or prescribe treatment.

Appropriate Action: If at all possible, the forum moderator should remove the offending content while retaining the post. All edits should include the forum moderators name and the reason for editing (e.g. medical advice). In the event that the post cannot be retained, the forum moderator will delete the whole post. If you believe a forum moderator has edited or deleted your post in error, you can email forum@7cups.com and we will investigate.


Clarifications:

I started taking hormone therapy for my mtf transition last week.
In LGBTQ+, it may be useful to mention if you are transitioning.

I am transitioning off of an antidepressant.
For mental health, it may be useful to mention if you are on a medication/transitioning.

Many individuals use XX medication for treating ADHD, but it can have YY, ZZ side effects - it could be good to check with your doctor if you're having any side effects
If a medication has known side effects or is known to be used to commonly treat a condition, it can be appropriate to mention the side effects and / or condition it is used for. Be careful to make sure you are not recommending a treatment plan and to encourage others to seek clarification from a professional.


Do you have questions about what is or isn't okay or need further clarification on examples? Post below and we will problem solve together!

7
MonBon OP December 10th, 2018
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@delightfulDragon87

Providing users with external resources is generally fine and in many cases even encouraged.

The only things I would watch out for is sites that are primarily focused on selling a product or service (vs. informational), or any page that could reveal your personal information or social media.

lovelyWhisper66 December 9th, 2018
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@MonBon Awesome, thanks for the clarification! This post really helps clear up the issue. :)

AffyAvo September 24th, 2021
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@Mel I'm confused by how this rule is being looked at currently. In the past I thought it was fairly strict in regards to medication, less so with some other medical advice. Now I have been informed that giving a suggestion to someone to use a medication is ok, as long as it's not advice (and no dosage is given). I am confused what a medication suggestion would look like that would be considered ok.

Also been informed that it's ok to state something like Take [medication] today, if it's a post with personal experiences and we can give opinions. So can I say

I think it's best for everyone's health if they use purple unicorn tears asap!

If not, can you give further guidance on these? With my posts mentioning medication I've always tried to stick to factual information or my own experiences without suggesting medications or stating opinions about other's medication use. Exceptions to ask a medical professional ie. if you're not happy with side effects check to see if there are options sometimes the timing or medication can be adjusted to minimize that.

Mel September 25th, 2021
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@AffyAvo hey there Affy! There hasn't been any changes to this rule. No medical advice is permitted, although drugs may be mentioned in certain areas.

For example, if in LGTBQ+ you wish to mention you've been taking testosterone or another hormone you may but it's not the same to encourage others to or tell them they should.

Please feel free to tag me, flag or PM me specific situations where you've seen this or bring it up to relevant subcom leaders per their attention!

Thank you for all that you do

AffyAvo September 26th, 2021
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@Mel Thanks Mel for confirming this is the same as before!

amicableWater4529 March 27th, 2023
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@MonBon is telling someone to talk to a doctor medical advice? I would consider it to be because it's telling someone to do something that is medical in nature and is advice.

MonBon OP July 26th, 2023
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@amicableWater4529

Telling someone to seek professional guidance is not giving medical advice. Thanks for the question!

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