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Nepal

Deep-built

ISO: NPL Region: Asia & the Pacific

4.2% circumcision prevalence

Prevalence of non-therapeutic male circumcision.

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Research coverage

A transparent snapshot of what this file currently contains.

PrevalenceComplete

Categorical profileComplete

Circumcision by intentComplete

Deep write-upsComplete

Native perspectiveExploratory

Sources · Citations

Verifications · Independent

Structured claims · Evidence-based

Jul 9, 2026

Last updated · deep-built

Research note: Nepal DEEP_BUILT 2026-07-01. Morris 2016 PMC4772313: 4.2%. Circumcision confined to Muslim minority (~4-5%); Hindu/Buddhist/Kirant majority do NOT circumcise. KEY HARM PROFILE: Arghakhanchi District (western Nepal, 2011 studies): near-100% Hazam (traditional, non-health-worker), non-sterilized knives, 95% ghee-and-ash wound care, 22% seek health institutions. CAVEAT: single-VDC data, 2011, not generalizable to Terai Muslims. 0 specific harm cases confirmed (risk factors documented). Nepal secular republic 2008; 2015 Constitution. Sources #1101-1108. UNREGULATED. HIV ~0.1%. NOT VMMC priority.

Research claims

Short, testable claims backed by evidence and categorised for clarity.

No structured research claims have been added for Nepal yet.

Legal status

Unregulated

No Nepal statute, regulation, or ministerial order specifically governs non-therapeutic male circumcision. Nepal is a secular republic since 2008 (abolition of the Hindu kingdom); the 2015 Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Circumcision is practiced by the Muslim minority (~4-5% of the population) and is unregulated. The practice among studied western Nepal Muslim communities relies almost entirely on traditional Hazam circumcisers using non-sterilized instruments, with minimal healthcare access. Female genital cutting is a separate matter and must not be conflated with male circumcision.

Medical & HIV context

0.1%

Adult HIV prevalence

UNAIDS (2023) · Adults 15–49

Circumcision in newborns

Non-therapeutic (cultural practice)

childhood (Muslim minority only)

Typical age

Benchmarks are international context — not a local complication rate.

Incident registry

No verified incidents are currently recorded for Nepal.

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.

Country write-ups

Nepal: 4.2% Circumcision — Muslim Minority Practice, Near-Total Hazam Reliance

Studies from western Nepal Muslim communities found near-100% of circumcisions performed by traditional Hazam circumcisers using non-sterilized knives; 95% rely on ghee-and-ash wound care; only 22% seek health institutions

Sep 1, 2023