19757

Concerning this article, I have yet to read a single study regarding the alleged benefits of circumcision that acknowledges that the foreskin is erogenous tissue. Removal of erogenous tissue from a female would be considered barbaric, even if it did offer some protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

Jerry Malone
Pueblo, Colo.

This is surgery, which should always be taken seriously. Removing all our appendixes would prevent appendicitis as well, but no one is suggesting such an extreme measure. I would not consider circumcision for my children because it offers some help in preventing diseases they can prevent by their own behavior. Certainly, that cost-benefit analysis may be different in a country with a much higher rate of HIV infection, but I think the article’s portrayal of circumcision as a no-brainer is far too simplistic.

Jessica Thompson
Madison, Wis.