Who writes our content
Our articles, treatment pages and guides are written by health writers working from primary and authoritative sources. Writers do not invent statistics, quotes or study results, and they do not write from personal anecdote or testimonials.
Writers are not the final word on medical accuracy. That is the job of medical review, described below.
Where our information comes from
We favor sources that are independent, current and accountable:
- FDA drug labeling and safety communications, including DailyMed.
- Federal health agencies such as NIH, MedlinePlus, CDC and HHS.
- Clinical guidelines from professional bodies such as the Endocrine Society, the American Urological Association, The Menopause Society and ACOG.
- Peer-reviewed research indexed in PubMed, described accurately for what it is: a human trial, an observational study, an animal study or a lab study.
Medical review by Dr. Niles
Clinical content is medically reviewed by Dr. Vanessa Niles, R.N., M.D., F.A.C.O.G., a board-certified OB-GYN and Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists with more than 40 years in women's health. Review checks that claims are supported by the cited sources, that risks are described fairly and that nothing overstates what a treatment can do.
When a page touches on an area outside a reviewer's specialty, the reviewer checks it against current guidelines from the relevant professional society and may ask for changes before publication.
What we will not publish
- Promises of results, cures or guaranteed outcomes.
- Testimonials or before-and-after framing.
- Claims that a compounded medication or a lab-developed test is FDA-approved or equivalent to a branded, FDA-approved product.
- Home dosing instructions for compounded peptides. Dosing is set by your clinician.
- Prices that do not match our current price list.
How we handle uncertainty
A lot of popular midlife treatments have limited human evidence. When research is early, small, short-term or based on animals, we say so plainly. When experts disagree, we describe the disagreement rather than picking the more marketable side.
Regulatory status changes too. Peptide compounding rules, hormone therapy labeling and GLP-1 compounding policy have all shifted recently. We date-check those statements and revise pages when the FDA or a guideline body acts.
How we describe evidence
Not all studies carry the same weight. We use consistent language so you can tell them apart. A randomized controlled trial in people is the strongest single source for whether a treatment works. Observational studies can show associations but not cause and effect. Animal and cell studies can suggest a mechanism but often fail to translate to humans.
When the only evidence for a claim comes from animal or lab work, we say that in the sentence where the claim appears rather than in a footnote. When FDA-approved drug trials are cited on a page about a compounded version, we make clear that those results apply to the approved product, not to the compounded one.
Separation of editorial and business decisions
Our content is meant to help you decide, not to steer you toward a purchase. Treatment pages describe who should not use a treatment, the side effects that matter and the FDA-approved alternatives that exist. Pricing appears for transparency, never as a reason to choose one option over another.
Clinicians who treat patients through HealifyMD make their decisions independently. Nothing published on this site obligates a clinician to prescribe.
Keeping content current
Clinical pages are scheduled for re-review at least once a year and sooner when a major label change, guideline update or safety communication affects them. Pages that discuss pricing are updated whenever our price list changes.
Corrections
If you think something on our site is wrong, out of date or unclear, email support@healifymd.com with the page address and what you believe needs fixing. A member of our team reviews every report. Material errors are corrected promptly, and clinical corrections go back through medical review.
Educational content on this site is general information, not medical advice for your situation. Decisions about your care belong with you and your clinician.
Common questions
Are HealifyMD articles written by doctors?
Articles are written by health writers and medically reviewed by a physician, Dr. Vanessa Niles, before publication or after major updates.
Do you use AI or automated tools to write content?
Any drafting tools are subject to the same rules: sources are checked by people, and nothing is published without editorial and medical review.
Do treatment pages favor HealifyMD products?
Pages are meant to inform, which includes describing FDA-approved alternatives, limits of the evidence and reasons a treatment may not suit you.
Why do you repeat that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved?
Because it is true and important, and readers often land on a single page without seeing the rest of the site.
How do I report an error?
Email support@healifymd.com with the page URL and a short description of the problem.
Can I rely on this content instead of seeing a clinician?
No. It is educational and cannot account for your personal history, medications or test results.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- Evaluating Health InformationMedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
- Health Products Compliance GuidanceFederal Trade Commission
- Compounding and the FDA: Questions and AnswersU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Laboratory Developed TestsU.S. Food and Drug Administration