In protest, I must respond to Steve Borgman’s Sept. 19 letter, “Circumcision solely a parental decision.” Mr. Borgman has some very curious attitudes toward medical “decisions” which are imposed on children. Many pediatric physicians agree that circumcision is nothing more than a cosmetic procedure.

It drastically alters the nature of the penis and leaves no option for the child to choose what is best for his body when he is older. It is no better than the forced genital cutting of little girls.

Mr. Borgman may believe parents have a right to make medical decisions, but this attitude is nothing more than child abuse, and I do not agree with it. Parents have no right to decide what their child “should” look like, just as they have no right to decide what parts they are born with, or how big their breasts will grow. Mr. Borgman is advocating ignorance, intolerance and the perpetuation of gender-based abuse. It is my hope that, if Mr. Borgman has had children and if he and his partner chose to forcibly circumcise any of them, regardless of gender, that he will someday apologize for taking their personal, rightful choice away.

Neil Peterson

Director of Students for Genital Integrity

University of Iowa