[Asbostos]

It may have practical short term benefits but bending medicine to suit culture is not generally great. If somebody invented a way to prevent measles without a vaccine. It might be a good idea but not for the reason that it respects the will of parents who don't want their children vaccinated for "cultural" (i.e. superstitious) reasons.

[dragonwriter]

> It may have practical short term benefits but bending medicine to suit culture is not generally great.

Medicine treats people, and people have culture. Adapting medicine to address cultural concerns is potentially as beneficial as any other adaptation to the actual patient you are trying to treat, rather than some idealized patient that doesn't actually match the one that's in front of you.

[venomsnake]

Also true about bending rules to accommodate religion - after all it is a choice. But actually we do it all the time with disastrous effects.