[RobAtticus]

I mean, it is major surgery. There is a pretty big difference from somebody cutting out gluten from their diet and somebody getting surgery. If I decide one day I'm allergic to gluten, I can stop eating it without consulting a doctor. Similarly, as the sibling comment mentions, if McCarthy thinks vaccines cause autism she can stop getting them for her and her children without consulting a doctor. Sure, maybe some women will start pushing for unnecessary surgery, but they will also have to find a doctor who is willing to accommodate them and perform the surgery in the absence of evidence (or perform it based on a website).

It just doesn't jive with me that they are remotely the same thing. I think Jolie is a particularly poor example here and serves as a distraction for an otherwise decent point.