Editor,

The article "Better teen body image with privacy" provides much food for thought.

From a different point of view, being naked may not be a shame that would drive young kids to mental disgrace. Nakedness has long been an eternal and symbolic subject of Western aesthetics. And under the circumstances of a medical examination, being naked is tolerable and even necessary.

As for being medically examined in groups, what is to blame are the methods but not the nakedness itself. It may be better for such medical tests to be carried out as private, one-on-one situations as for routine visits to the doctor.

It is not denied that young people, even those in their 20s, might possess a modest character and a tranquil yet inward temperament. However, what annoys or insults them is perhaps not the nakedness itself but an unforgivable disrespect for their being naked.

Dong hg, via e-mail