Suriname
Deep-built15.9% circumcision prevalence
Prevalence of non-therapeutic male circumcision.
Research coverage
A transparent snapshot of what this file currently contains.
8
Sources · Citations
7
Verifications · Independent
0
Structured claims · Evidence-based
Jul 9, 2026
Last updated · deep-built
Research note: Suriname DEEP_BUILT 2026-07-06. Morris 2016 PMC4772313: 15.9% — HIGHEST of a 4-country South American batch (confirmed 3-0). DISTINCTIVE: highest proportional Muslim population in the Americas (13.9%, 2012 census, ~75,053 people), split between TWO distinct diasporas (2-1 conf, not conflated): Javanese-Surinamese (~67% Muslim of ethnic group, ~49,533 people, 3rd-largest ethnic group nationally, likely largest Javanese-Muslim community in the Americas) vs Hindustani-Surinamese (~12.6% Muslim, ~18,734 people, minority within Hindu-majority group). MOST DISTINCTIVE FINDING OF THE WHOLE RESEARCH PASS: Javanese sunatan ritual circumcision embedded in the slametan ceremonial complex, tied to shahada recitation (Chickrie/Surparlan 1995 ethnographic study, small 5-person sample, qualitative not quantitative; some descendants report fading ceremony memory). Maroon circumcision tradition explicitly sought but NOT found (honest gap, West African roots elsewhere associated w/ the practice). FGM legal status not independently verified. Not on ARC Law's 4-country list. HIV ~1.3% (2019) — elevated Caribbean-coast pattern matching Guyana. UNREGULATED. NOT VMMC priority. 0 verified incidents (honest gap). Sources #1286-1293.
Research claims
Short, testable claims backed by evidence and categorised for clarity.
No structured research claims have been added for Suriname yet.
Legal status
UnregulatedNo Surinamese statute specifically governs non-therapeutic male circumcision — confirmed absent from ARC Law's compiled list of the only countries known to regulate the practice (Sweden, South Africa, Australia, Germany) or to have made unsuccessful attempts to do so. This research did not independently verify Suriname's female genital mutilation legal status — an honest gap. Female genital mutilation is a separate matter and must not be conflated with male circumcision.
Medical & HIV context
1.3%
Adult HIV prevalence
CIA/UNAIDS (2019) · Adults 15–49
no
Circumcision in newborns
Non-therapeutic (cultural practice)
dual-diaspora Muslim minority
Typical age
Benchmarks are international context — not a local complication rate.
Incident registry
No verified incidents are currently recorded for Suriname.
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.