r/medical

448K archived posts · Jul 2009 – Sep 2026

A community for medical questions; and sharing medical knowledge and experience.

r/medical

Welcome to r/Medical! Your safe space for medical questions. - Read the rules, ask and answer questions, and remember, your well-being matters here. - This is a supportive community where you can explore, share, and learn about health and related topics. - Join the conversation and let's navigate our medical curiosity together!

Created Jun 30, 2009 · NSFW

143KMembers (last snapshot)

448KArchived posts

DO NOT MESSAGE MODERATORS WITH YOUR MEDICAL QUESTIONS, WE DO NOT ANSWER POST QUESTIONS THROUGH MODMAIL

THIS SUBREDDIT IS FOR MEDICAL QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION

IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL QUESTION, THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR POST

Remember, the more information you can give, the better.

Age of Sufferer
Duration of Complaint
Additional Symptoms?
Past Medical History
Anything else you think will help a medical professional assist you.

Please mark your post as NSFW if it is.

Do not post:

Links to articles, pages, online stores etc
Questions that intend to harm you or another person (suicide etc). Please seek help immediately. r/SuicideWatch is a useful subreddit for seeking help. It never hurts to reach out.

Other Subreddits -

r/DiagnoseMe

r/Medical_Students

r/SurgicalDeviceRepair

r/AskDocs

If you are a medical professional and would like to receive a flair, please visit the wiki for more information.

Rules

Please read the following thoroughly, if you do not understand then do not post or comment.

RULE 1 - Understand legal disclaimer
This is a discussion forum for medical topics. This is not a replacement for a medical evaluation. Many of our members are not medical professionals.

Posting in this community does not establish liability nor a professional-client relationship. If in doubt, consult qualified healthcare personnel.

Note: This community cannot provide emergency assistance. In urgent situations, seek immediate medical help.

RULE 2 - r/medical Purpose
r/medical is a space for all your health related questions, regardless of it being somatic, psychiatric, sexual—all medical related questions are permitted as long as they are within the confines of our rules—whether it's a common concern or a personal question, there's no judgment here. Every question is valid unless it poses harm.

While the advice shared isn't a replacement for professional diagnosis, consider it a supportive community for understanding your body and health.

RULE 3 Moderator and Community Manager's Discretion
The moderators and Community Managers of r/medical reserve the right to take any action that is in the best interests of the subreddit or its community.

This includes, but is not limited to, removing posts or comments, banning users, or changing the content, interpretation, or enforcement of these rules.

The goal is to foster a supportive and informative community.

Further information may not be provided.

RULE 4 - Community Safety
We prioritize kindness, respect and inclusivity. Jokes about serious topics like rape, death, self-harm or hurtful speech is strictly prohibited.

Misinformation has no place; offer only genuine advice. Protect privacy by censoring personal details before posting.

Foster an environment where questions are encouraged and learning about our bodies is embraced.

Familiarize with Reddiquette for guidance.

Remember to censor personal details before reposting to uphold privacy.

Violating this rule will result in a ban, either temporary or permanent depending on the severity and prior sanctions.

Rule 5 - Use Descriptive Titles for Your Post
Post titles should provide a clear and specific idea of your question or the photo content.

A descriptive title not only attracts users with relevant expertise but ensures you receive the most useful advice.

Avoid titles like 'What's this?' or 'Is this normal?' as they may not accurately state your concern, potentially restricting assistance.

Be specific, and informative in your titles, clarity increases the quality of assistance within the community.

RULE 6- No unsolicited PMs to users nor Moderators or Community Managers.
Do not PM users without consent.

Do not PM Moderators or Community Managers unless asked. Use ModMail for communication with the Mod Team.

Violators will be banned.

RULE 7 - No Claiming Unverified Credentials
Unflaired users can not claim medical expertise.

Professionals/students need verification to claim credentials - Flairs can be assigned through the official process - Visit our WIKI on how to becoming verified.

Note that misuse, harassment, or clearly spreading misinformation will lead to removal of the flair and ban.

RULE #8 - Health and Information Integrity.
r/medical prohibits content that poses risk/harm to self or others, or that spread misinformation.

Harmful practices; self-destructive behaviour; and non-evidence medical advice are strictly against our rules.

We aim for a safe space with accurate, evidence-based information.

Any violation will be met with sanctions.

RULE 9 - Private Area Questions
Posts including pictures/videos of parts of the body considered NSFW (regardless of gender), such as: nipples, breast, vulva, vagina, butt, anus, penis, testicles, or any part of the pubic area are strictly for people above the age of 18 and must include age in the title.

Minors (or parents on behalf of minors) are strictly prohibited from posting such content; any attempt will lead to an immediate and permanent ban to ensure the safety of all users.

RULE 10 - Self-Harm/Sexual-Assault/Cut Injury Related (read before posting)
Allowed with strict criteria—include TW SH/SA in title, and SPOILER tag.

Moderated heavily for safety; Mods or CMs may lock comments or remove posts to prevent trolling.

'What layer is this?' and similar posts will be removed.

SH or SA glorification will result in a permanent ban without warning.

For dedicated SH content, visit r/selfharm or r/selfharmscars.

For dedicated SA content, visit r/RapeCounseling or r/SexualAssult.

If you're suicidal, seek support on r/SuicideWatch.

Rule 11 - Substance/Medicine, and Bug bite/sting, Rash identification, or Cancer diagnosis request
We prohibit substance/medication identification or identifications for bites/stings or rashes, as it’s infeasible to identify based on a picture or description.

Consult Pharmacologist, Physician, or Dermatologist for these.

Posts speculating cancer based on symptoms, lesions, moles etc., will be removed. Cancer cannot be diagnosed or ruled out via Reddit; it's irresponsible to allow this type of speculation.

Rule 12 - No Fundraising; Advertising; Surveys: or Polls
No fundraising, advertising, surveys, or polls allowed on this subreddit.

While we support healthcare personnel and education, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of personal information in surveys.

We treat everyone equally and have denied previous requests for fundraising, advertising, and surveys.

Rule 13 - Repost Frequency
Posts that are reposted within 24 hours will be removed.

Reposts are permitted once every 24 hours.

Repeatedly violating this rule may lead to a ban.

Rule 14 - Rabies or Amoeba Diagnosis Requests
Posts on rabies or amoeba (Naegleria fowleri, etc.) infection, as it is not possible to diagnose these over the internet.

If you suspect exposure to rabies, contact your local health department to discuss risk factors and determine if vaccination is necessary.

Rule 15 - No politics
Discussion of political matters is strictly prohibited within r/medical's community. This includes but is not limited to debates, opinions, or references to political figures, parties, policies, or ideologies.

Our focus is on providing support and information related to medical topics.

Any posts or comments that are politically charged will be removed, and repeated violations may result in a ban.

Other communities

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