Editing guidelines
What belongs in this encyclopedia, how to cite, and the standards every edit is held to.
The standard
Facts only. Every substantive claim should be traceable to a clinical guideline, a peer-reviewed study, or a public health body. If you cannot source it, do not state it as fact. Write "evidence is limited" or "individual experience varies" rather than guessing.
For all bodies. Do not assume the reader's anatomy, gender, orientation, relationship structure, ability or age. Use "people with a vulva" or "people with a penis" where anatomy is the point, and gendered language only where the source data is gendered.
Nothing withheld. Adults reading a reference need complete information, including about activities that carry risk. Describe the risk accurately and explain how to reduce it; do not omit the topic and do not moralise about it.
No shame, no hype. Neutral, clear, direct. No euphemism where a precise word exists.
How to cite
Add a ## Sources section at the end of every article. List author, title, publication and year for studies; the organisation and document title for guidelines. Prefer primary sources and current guidance over news coverage.
If you add a claim without a source, tick the "needs sources" box on the edit form so readers see the marker and another editor can fill the gap.
Formatting
Articles use Markdown: ## for sections, **bold**, *italic*, - for lists, | tables, > for callouts and [text](url) for links. Raw HTML is stripped.
Start with an overview a reader can understand alone, then go into detail. Keep the summary field to one sentence describing what the article covers.
Every edit is recorded
Saving creates a permanent revision containing the whole article, your edit summary and the name you gave. Nothing is deleted, and any earlier version can be restored from the History tab. Write an edit summary that says what you changed and why.
What gets removed
Personal anecdotes presented as evidence, advertising, links to commercial products, medical advice for a specific individual, content sexualising minors, content promoting non-consensual activity, and anything that describes coercion approvingly. Use the report button on any article that contains these.
What this site is not
It is a reference, not a clinician. It cannot examine anyone, does not know a reader's history, and does not replace personal medical care.
Educational reference, not medical advice. Every article is community-edited and cites its sources; verify anything that affects your health with a clinician who knows your history.