Honeybun – I'm not sure why you are so vociferously anti-science all of a sudden – I don't remember you expressing these views so vehemently before, and you keep repeating this...
As I said before, we should remember that the website is run by a leading NHS gynaecologist - Dr Currie - and as such is underpinned by conventional medicine with science and evidence at its heart. The forum is an integral part of that and was referred to by the British Menopause Society as “patient ledâ€.
It won't make much difference whether there is a thread ( or section) on “Alternatives†on the forum – although logically it would be better to have a section on “Treatments†where all treatments can be detailed including HRT – but I think the forum does work pretty well as it is, and as I said there are already threads "Tell us how you manage without HRT" which covers it well, but if it is deemed helpful then so be it.
However, again as I said before – any attempt to stifle debate can only have a negative effect and lead to conflict. Think about it – there is a section where personal experiences only are permitted (actually there is one already) – if someone dares to provide some information, or a link to a study to try to help someone – is a member or the moderator going to warn them off?
Of course reading personal experiences are an enormous part of what gives comfort to other women during the menopausal years – but we mustn't confuse this with finding out what is the most effective treatment because this confuses belief with science. Three pages of testimony from lots of women about how they used a particular treatment and that it works – is not evidence that it does. As everyone knows this can only be provided by properly designed placebo controlled trials. Only these can tell you the likelihood of whether a treatment might work and in what percentage of cases. Anything else – "it worked for these women so I will try it because it sounds good" – is based on belief. Nothing wrong with the placebo effect – which is very powerful – I'm all for the power of the mind (as well as medicine) – but everyone should have access to as much information as possible in order to make an informed choice – and especially on a site such as this!
I like to think that most of us have sufficient tact and diplomacy to exercise judgement as to what to say and when on whatever thread, without being intimidating, and to be kindly in our responses and not need to put anyone down personally because of what they are saying. Anyone who does otherwise is informed by the moderator. Speaking for myself only, and it's a pity I have to spell this out but there have been so many negative comments about science, links and studies – I am confident that the way I have been posting and providing information is fine. In the two years since I rejoined the forum I have never once been warned or told by the moderator that anything is amiss with anything that I've said.
Let's try not to dictate who says what and where on this forum and continue to do our best to help each other in as helpful and kindly way as we can.
Hurdity x
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Topic: Request to Moderator for a dedicated Alternatives Topic (Read 42542 times)