“Patur Aval Assur: So if the study shows that there may be correlation, and more research is needed, it would seem the Chassam Sofer would hold not to do metzitzah b’peh. He wrote that if there’s even a minute danger (which the study shows there is), we should not follow kabbalah on it. Doing metzitzah with a glass tube would seem to be the preferable method from a halachic standpoint!”
I don’t think I ever said or implied otherwise. All I said was that while it is very much plausible that MBP causes HSV-1, there is not enough evidence to prove causation, and therefore there can be a strong case against any law about MBP. That doesn’t mean that I am reccomending MBP. In fact I think part of the problem with the whole situation is that people become so focused on one issue (e.g. defending religious freedom) that they abandon the other issue (e.g. whether there is a concern that MBP is not so safe). It would not be a stirah if someone spent months arguing against the Department of Health in court yet at the same time advises people not to do MBP (or that it might not be so safe but halachically it is worth the risk). I don’t see why all sides can’t keep to their position while acknowledging that there is some amount of risk even though there is not enough evidence to prove causation.