From:  List Owner
Subject:          Policy decision

Dear ovary-science subscriber

Recently, ovary-science received a message from a subscriber 
suffering from a medical/fertility condition who was seeking 
advice and information. The list has received messgaes of this 
sort before. As list owner, I replied to the effect that the 
list was not available for the discussion of personal medical 
condition.

My reply upset one subscriber who evidently felt that it was 
unsympathetic to the needs of the correspondent.

I would like to ascertain the feelings of other subscribers on 
this issue. Is there a strong feeling that the list should go 
beyond its stated remit and consider requests for personal 
medical advice? Or do most subscribers feel that we should 
retain our current position (as stated in the welcome message)?

A full transcript of the correspondence, minus identifiers, 
appears below.

I would be grateful for your opinion and will endeavour to 
summarise the replies in due course.

Many thanks. (List Owner)


> Date:          Thu, 17 Sep 1998 15:34:09 -0500 (CDT)
> I have been trying to conceive since January 1998 and still nothing.  I
> have a son who is now 5 years old and I was on the pill for 4 years.  When
> I went to have my pap-smear exam the doctor told me that my ovary was a
> bit high and to the side, what exactly does this mean?  Will I be able to
> have another child?


>>Date sent:        Fri, 18 Sep 1998 08:39:51 GMT0BST
>>Please note that the ovary-science discussion group is unable 
>>to offer personal advice and is not available for the 
>>discussion of individual medical conditions.
>>Please consult your medical practitioner
>>(List owner)

>>>Date sent:        Fri, 18 Sep 1998 09:13:52 +0000
>>>Regarding your response to XXX.XXX and her 
>>>infertility problems... these issues are extremely personal 
>>>and emotional for those suffering from this problem.  She 
>>>obviously has been searching for answers and turned to the 
>>>internet for further information beyond what she has been 
>>>told by her own physician, and apparently stumbled upon your 
>>>web page and chose to pose a query to 'experts'.  I am sure 
>>>that your cold hearted reply has left her with a new opinion 
>>>of 'Ovary-Science'
>>>Please remove me from your list

>>>>Date sent:        Fri, 18 Sep 1998 16:09:11 GMT0BST
>>>>Thanks for your message. My reply to XXX.XXX was 
>>>>intended to be neither cold- nor warm-hearted, nor of any 
>>>>other emotional content. It was simply a stement of fact. It 
>>>>reflected the clear statement about the remit of the group 
>>>>described in the message which all subscribers to the group 
>>>>receive when they join.
>>>>I am personally very sympathetic to people who have problems 
>>>>with their own fertility but there is no possible way in 
>>>>which I, or any other subscribers to the group, can express 
>>>>this without inviting further discussion. A "cold" 
>>>>statement, plus the general advice to consult a medical 
>>>>practitionaer, is the only response available to us. I feel 
>>>>it to be my responsibility, as list owner, to make the 
>>>>response and thereby preempt any further discussion by other 
>>>>subscribers.
>>>>I hope this clarifies the position.
>>>>You may unsubscribe yourself from the list, if you so wish. 
>>>>Unsubscriptions, like subscriptions, are unmoderated.
>>>>Sincerely (List owner)