In Reply Svoboda’s statements have been discredited previously.1 Since benefits of infant male circumcision (MC) vastly exceed risks,2 its persistence in diverse cultures worldwide likely reflects ritualization of a healthy practice,3 rather than it simply being “cosmetic.”

Meta-analyses and large randomized trials establishing protection against lifetime urinary tract infections, human immunodeficiency virus, human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus 2,Mycoplasma genitalium, genital ulcer disease, penile cancer, and other conditions have led the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the World Health Organization/UNAIDS to adopt affirmative policy statements and promote the procedure.

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