To wonder why there is no "sexual health" section on mumsnet?

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

...when it effects most people?

At the moment its vaguely situated under General Health.

Family planning is contraception.

Yes, there's a Sex section but that would be like wandering into an Ann Summers shop to ask for advice about a UTI.

GUM and sexual health clinics have suffered significantly from cuts over the last few years, my own closest one has been shut down, the closest is now an hours dive away and even that one has suffered from taking on patients from 2 closed clinics. STIs are rising and places to help diagnose and treat them are becoming overwhelmed or disappearing all together.

It would be good for MN to have a specific area on here to look for advice, as it has for mental health, dementia, anorexia etc.

You can ask mumsnet on site stuff and if they think they have enough demand they will add it.
We badgered them for a vegan board and got one

MNHQ are trying to cut down on the number of boards because most things end up in AIBU or Chat as there are too many.

No one would use it they’d use chat or even 30 days I imagine.

And I think there’s a place for mental health because people need to talk through when they’re having a crisis etc, sexual health is very important but it shouldn’t be compared to anorexia etc.

Too limited a subject.

We really don’t need any more boards. I’m angling for a cull myself.

As pp said, too many boards mean people post in chat or aibu.

Interesting that you say about cuts. I work in this area, and for us, more clinics are opening rather than fewer, and opening hours are being extended. Online booking and postal testing is also being rolled out to extend client choice. I guess it depends where you live.

Why can't you just post in general health though? I think there's too many topics already, to be honest.

Too limited a subject.

Not everyone on here is in a long term relationship with next to no risk of sti.

Not everyone on here is in a long term relationship with next to no risk of sti.

True, but do we really need a whole board that says “wear a condom and visit the GUM clinic once in a while”?

Do we really need a whole forum about how not to eat animal produce?

Tofu soya nut milk and butter.

Away you go

Also herpes is chronic. It isnt as simple as just go to a gum clinic

That’s not an argument for a board though NoelNiki. That’s an argument for a thread at best.

It would attract trolls. I used to moderate for another forum and 'specialised' in sex and relationships. Was a minefield of people asking for advice on how to masturbate, about what constituted normal genitalia , consumption of porn, circumcision and outright bragging/being a dick. Pointless in some ways. If anyone seemed genuinely in need of help (abuse/assault, rape, termination, STI symptoms) they'd be directed to GP/GUM/Brook etc. Was marketed at older teenagers/students and as such I guess it could have acted as a 'safe' place to talk but imagine that isn't so necessary on a parenting forum.

Can't see why general health isn't OK if you want advice on UTI/Herpes/HIV or something though - and probably multitudes of more specialist forums/FB groups too.

You do get sad individuals too on google looking for something to get off to and some will inevitably end up on sex forums and ask questions that are designed to get a reply...

Sexual health is not limited to STIs, it also encompasses many illnesses, often long term and debilitating. I live in the south east and the sexual health services are eroding. I'm glad it's not happening everywhere in the country.

Surely the "sex" section attracts trolls too and that still stands.

There's also a "swine flu" section currently under health. Do more people get swine flu than STIs?!

Nobody has posted in the swine flu topic in well over a year. Personally I would've also said no when someone suggested that topic. I think it's better to have fewer broad topics than lots of specific ones.

I do agree Sinister, I'm currently on waiting list for psychosexual therapy , been waiting for help since I was 16 or so. Services are terrible, but don't think internet advice from strangers is always the way to go necessarily. Difficult. I do worry if I mention my vaginismus on here / 'dilation therapy' people will say I'm trolling, but no one to ask about in rl either.

It would be yet another place to attract the pervs

The sex section should go too. Mn hasn't been the same since it was introduced.

Start a thread shouldnt - I’d find it helpful too.

I think it would attract pervs too. The Sex Topic seems to be full of men, so a Sexual Health topic would probably be the same.

I don't see why it can't go in General Health really. Or really try and get some RL help as with the best will in the will the best advice regarding medical stuff is not on an internet chat board.

Pen have put a thread in general health for friendly chat for those of us struggling with long term gynae/sexual health. Whether it becomes a troll magnet (hope not) dont know. Would be good to be able to talk about these things to be honest.