Recommendations against routine neonatal circumcision are based on the assumption that good penile hygiene can offer the same advantages as this procedure. The purpose of this study was to investigate hygienic practices of uncircumcised subjects and the relationship of these practices to the condition of the prepuce and glans. Outcome was related to hygiene: subjects who retracted the foreskin when bathing were less likely to have smegma accumulation, inflammation, phimosis, or adhesions than those who did not. Significant correlations were also found between early instructions concerning hygiene and the type of hygiene practiced. These results support the recommendation that good hygiene can offer many of the advantages of circumcision and highlight the need for clear, early instructions on hygiene to uncircumcised patients.