Gambia
Deep-built94.5% circumcision prevalence
Prevalence of non-therapeutic male circumcision.
Research coverage
A transparent snapshot of what this file currently contains.
8
Sources · Citations
8
Verifications · Independent
0
Structured claims · Evidence-based
Jul 9, 2026
Last updated · deep-built
Research note: Gambia DEEP_BUILT 2026-06-29. Morris 2016 PMC4772313: 94.5% modelled; ~96% Muslim; all major groups Muslim. Distinctive: UNESCO-inscribed Kankurang Mandinka initiation accompanies circumcision ceremony; age 8-13 (most by 15). REFUSALS: Kankurang primary function = evil spirits (0-3); Kankurang across 4 nations (0-3). FGM Repeal Act 2023 STRICTLY SEPARATE (not conflated). Sources #1037-1044. 0 verified incidents (no indexed case data). NOT VMMC priority. HIV ~1.7% UNAIDS.
Research claims
Short, testable claims backed by evidence and categorised for clarity.
No structured research claims have been added for Gambia yet.
Legal status
UnregulatedNo Gambian statute specifically governs non-therapeutic male circumcision. The practice is near-universal and unregulated in the absence-of-prohibition sense. Female genital mutilation is a separate and distinct legal matter: the Women's Amendment Act 2015 banned FGM but was repealed by parliament in 2023 (FGM Repeal Act 2023). This FGM repeal has no legal bearing on male circumcision whatsoever and must not be conflated with male circumcision policy.
Medical & HIV context
1.7%
Adult HIV prevalence
UNAIDS (2023) · Adults 15–49
no
Circumcision in newborns
Non-therapeutic (cultural practice)
8-13 (Mandinka initiation)
Typical age
Benchmarks are international context — not a local complication rate.
Incident registry
No verified incidents are currently recorded for Gambia.
This absence should not be read as proof that harm does not occur — only that no verified, sourced case has been documented in this database yet.