Editorial Policy

How we research, write, medically review, fact-check, and update Health and Beyond content.

Our Commitment

Health and Beyond exists because women living with chronic conditions like PCOS deserve better than the generic, copy-paste content that dominates health media. We're committed to being one of the most trustworthy women's health resources on the internet — and the policies on this page are how we hold ourselves to that standard.

Our Sources

We only cite sources that meet a high standard of credibility. In order of preference, our articles draw from:

  1. Peer-reviewed primary research — systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and well-designed cohort studies from journals indexed on PubMed.
  2. Clinical practice guidelines — including those from the Endocrine Society, ACOG, AACE, and international PCOS guidelines.
  3. Major medical organizations — WHO, CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic.
  4. Government health agencies — FDA, HHS, and equivalent international bodies.

What we don't cite: anecdotal claims without research to back them, blog posts from uncredentialed sources, content from companies selling the product in question, studies funded by a party with a clear conflict of interest (disclosed where it exists), and research that has been retracted or widely discredited.

Our Research Process

  1. Initial scoping — identifying the main claims the article needs to support.
  2. Literature search — PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and the databases of major medical organizations.
  3. Source evaluation — we prioritize recent research and higher-quality evidence.
  4. Cross-checking — we verify that multiple independent sources support each major claim.
  5. Inline citation — every research-based claim links directly to its source.

Our Medical Review Process

Every health-focused article on Health and Beyond is reviewed by a licensed clinician before publication. Our reviewer:

  • Holds a current, unrestricted medical license
  • Has clinical experience relevant to women's endocrine health
  • Reviews articles for medical accuracy, safety, and balance
  • Is independent from the editorial decision-making process
  • Is compensated only for review time, not outcomes

The reviewer's name, credentials, and review date are displayed on every reviewed article.

Fact-Checking Standards

Before an article is published, a fact-checking pass confirms:

  • ✓ Every health claim is supported by at least one cited source
  • ✓ Statistics are current and cited to their original source
  • ✓ Drug names, dosages, and interactions are accurate
  • ✓ Guidelines quoted are from the current version, not superseded editions
  • ✓ Product recommendations link to legitimate retailers
  • ✓ Personal experience is clearly labeled as such, not evidence

Our Update Schedule

  • Flagship articles (pillar guides, medication/supplement content) are reviewed at least once per year.
  • Time-sensitive content (product reviews) is reviewed every 6 months.
  • Evergreen content is reviewed at least every 2 years.
  • Breaking updates — if new research materially affects an article, we update it within two weeks.

Corrections Policy

If you find a factual error, please contact us. We take corrections seriously and will:

  1. Review your report within 5 business days
  2. Correct the error promptly if confirmed
  3. Add a visible correction notice at the top of the article
  4. Preserve the original text in the correction notice when the change is substantive

We do not silently edit articles to hide errors. Transparency builds trust.

Editorial Independence

Health and Beyond is supported by display advertising, affiliate partnerships, and digital products. None of these relationships influence our editorial content. Advertisers do not see articles before they publish, cannot request removal or edits, and affiliate partnerships do not determine which products we recommend. Sponsored posts, paid placements, and "advertorial" content are not accepted.

Full details on our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Contact Us

Editorial questions, source requests, or corrections? Contact us — we read every message.