Letters

A Healthy Cut

Eli Ungar-Sargon’s claim (“Outlawing Circumcision: Good for the Jews?” May 20) that the health benefits of circumcision are only “purported” is sadly misinformed, and his analogy to mastectomy is just plain silly. Numerous studies by the World Health Organization, as well as independent studies published in the Lancet, Scientific American and the New England Journal of Medicine all show significant benefits from circumcision in reducing HIV in heterosexual males (by as much as 60%), as well as other sexually transmitted diseases. Rates of circumcision are dropping in the U.S., especially in the black and Hispanic communities where there is a disproportionate incidence of the aforementioned diseases. We would be remiss not to promote circumcision as a definitive health benefit.

DAVID J. HAIDAK

Potomac, Md.

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