An attempt at humor in a St. Valentine’s Day editorial for the ACS newspaper was found to be demeaning to women by many members of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Eminent surgeon, Dr. Lazar J. Greenfield, 76, resigned from his leadership post with the ACS after his attempts to make amends was not enough to sway the association’s board.

The ACS was founded in 1913 and has about 77,000 members, including over 4,000 non-USA Fellows. It is the largest surgeons’ organization in the world. It also has over 2,600 Associate Fellows.

The Surgery News Editorial offended a significant number of members who said it revealed a male-dominated environment. Greenfield’s allies came to his rescue, saying he had promoted the careers of scores of aspiring female surgeons. His clumsy attempt at humor was treated too severely, Greenfield’s defenders said.

In his article, Greenfield mentioned a study which referred to female students who did not ask their partners to use condoms when engaging in sexual activity as less depressed than females who had protected sex. He also described semen as something that improves one’s mood. He went on to say that the bond between men and women is deeper than even St. Valentine realized . . . and “there’s a better gift for that day than chocolates.” Put bluntly – he suggested (humorously) that semen might make a better Valentine’s Day gift than chocolate, which is also referred to sometimes as a mood enhancer.

The article triggered an outcry, which resulted in its eventual removal from the journal’s website. However, many felt this was not enough.

Dr. Colleen Brophy, surgery professor, Vanderbilt University, eventually resigned from the association, describing Greenfield’s column as “insensitive, offensive and outrageous.”

Breast surgeon, Dr. Laurie Kirstein, at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, said:

“Dr. Greenfield’s comments are unfortunate, doubly so from someone not only in a leadership position but also as one so highly regarded. I don’t believe it reflects the position of the (ACS). I do think he needed to resign, however, since antiquated comments such as this should not be propagated.”

Some female surgeons came to his defense, as did Dr. Wendy Hall, from the University of Michigan, also a professor of surgery. She said Greenfield encouraged and promoted her career by selecting her as an intern and supervising her residency 24 years ago, a time when the environment was very male dominated. Dr. Hall said he selected three females for his internship class of seven members.

Dr. Hall agrees that what he wrote in the journal was an error of judgment. However, taking into account his background as an excellent role model and mentor, she felt that forcing him to resign was too severe.

In a communiqué to its members, the ACS wrote:

“Dr. Greenfield addressed the board and expressed his deep regret that individuals had been offended by the article . . . . After reaffirming his long-standing support for women in surgery, Dr. Greenfield resigned from his position as an officer of the College.”

Dr. Greenfield explained to board members that throughout his career he had encouraged women to pursue surgery and mentored them. Approximately half of the University of Michigan’s surgery department consists of females, Greenfield added. He moved to Michigan in 1987.

Greenfield said he had firsthand experience of how difficult things can be for women – he was the only child of a divorced mother.

Dr. Diane Simeone, a surgery professor at the University of Michigan, said in an interview with the New York Times that gender bias is still widespread in surgery, but was never evident from Dr. Greenfield.

Below is an exact quotation of part of what Dr. Greenfield wrote in Surgery News:

“Female college students having unprotected sex were significantly less depressed than were those whose partners used condoms. Their better moods were not just a feature of promiscuity, because women using condoms were just as depressed as those practicing total abstinence. The benefits of semen contact also were seen in fewer suicide attempts and better performance on cognition tests. So there’s a deeper bond between men and women than St. Valentine would have suspected, and now we know there’s a better gift for that day than chocolates.”

Below is a link to the article Dr. Greenfield referred regarding female college students, unprotected sex and less depression risk:

“Does Semen Have Antidepressant Properties?”
Gordon G. Jr. Gallup, Rebecca L. Burch and Steven M. Platek
Archives of Sexual Behavior – Volume 31, Number 3, 289-293, DOI: 0.1023/A:1015257004839

Written by Christian Nordqvist