title: Doctoring the Genitals: Towards Broadening the Meaning of Social Medicine.
abstract: Doctoring the genitals is compatible with a recognizable conception of social medicine. This commentary critically examines the distinction between medical and nonmedical procedures; presents an alternative account of Sohaila Bastami's personal reaction to the anonymous caller's request for referral information concerning hymen reconstruction surgery; and makes use of Yelp to simulate the caller's procedure for locating a helpful practitioner. Yelp is a very useful informational search engine that does not subject its users to a moral examination.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Department of Comparative Human Development, 1126 E. 59th St., Chicago, Illinois 60637 USA. rshd@uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shweder
mesh_terms: D018912:Arabs; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D006924:Hymen / Q000601:surgery*; D007514:Islam; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010820:Physicians / Q000941:ethics*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000941:ethics*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000941:ethics*; D063507:Sexism; D012746:Sexual Abstinence; D012945:Social Values