YAEL

Yael and her mother were discussing her upcoming marriage to François. The young man was in the process of converting to Judaism for the occasion; he was taking classes to study religion. There was however a little issue that Yael's mother wanted to discuss, sufficiently in advance.

“François is not circumcised, is he? So he will have to undergo bris ?

— I don't know. Probably not. I've not asked.”

Yael's mother smiled. Yael was a traditionalist, one who believed that sex belongs to marriage, not to pre-marital experimentation. She was most likely still a virgin.

“In the old days, there was a pre-nup physical. I looked it up online and it no longer exists, but I think you should go see Aurore. In fact, I've arranged so that she can receive you next Monday evening, if it suits you.”

Yael had to get a grasp on herself to avoid sighing. Her mother was so much the caricature of the Jewish mother, arranging her children's life and overreaching. She thought about resisting, pointing out that she was no longer a child, that she was old enough to schedule her own medical appointments. The conflict in her mind did not last long; she knew that her mother was right, there were some issues that she had so far declined to address and that should be addressed before marriage.

Aurore, a middle-aged distant cousin, was from a less traditionalist branch. She was a physician, a GP, and she received Yael after hours at her office.

“Your mother mentioned to me two issues. One is your bridegroom's bris. I propose that he schedules an examination with me, so that, depending on what I see, I can direct him towards the easiest course of action. The other issue is… you. Do you want to have children straight away, or do you intend to wait?

— I think we want to wait until I finish my studies.

— Then you'll have to think of contraception now. What are your plans?

— I don't know. The Pill, I guess.

— A very common option for women your age, but not necessarily the best. What do you think of condoms?

— I… I have no idea.

— They are a good solution if used properly, but improper use may lead to a tear, which may lead to pregnancy. Some women use both the Pill and condoms. Or you may prefer to use an implant. Some use a cervical cap or an IUD, though that may be difficult or impossible as a first method. Do you mind if I examine you?

— I… I've never had a gynecological examination.

— Well one must start at some point. Any issue that you would like to mention to me? How are your periods?”

Yael was not too comfortable discussing such impure matters. But maybe it was time indeed.

“I've had irregular periods from the start.

— And you never sought medical help?

— Well… No. I just carry pads at all times, just in case.

— Pads, not tampons?

— I have… I mean I tried tampons once.”

There was an embarrassing silence. Aurore adopted her most cheerful expression.

“Well I guess it's time for your examination. Skirt and panties off, please.”

The moment that Yael had postponed for years was coming. She felt very self-conscious undressing as Aurore was installing the stirrups, then climbing on the table, spreading her legs as requested. It was the first time she was showing her private parts like this since a very long while, perhaps since the last time she was diapered.

Aurore sat on a stool in between Yael's legs. She parted Yael's labia with her gloved hand. Yael's hymen was visible. Aurore had expected Yael to be a virgin; but one can be a virgin with or without a hymen. A speculum exam would be difficult, even with the smallest speculum she had; and the same for a digital vaginal exam. She opted for an external palpation of the abdomen, asking for details about which areas would hurt during irregular periods.

“I think you need an ultrasound for your ovaries; I don't have the equipment for that. I know a good gynecologist, Noémie Abécassis. I prefer she sees you before a prescription for hormonal contraceptives. You can get dressed.”

Yael sighed. She had hoped the matter would be settled in one visit, and now she was hearing she'd have to spread her legs again in front of a woman she did not know! Well at least that was a woman.

As Yael, now dressed again, sat in front of her desk, Aurore handed Yael a note for Dr Abécassis. “Call her secretary and say you come from me.”. Then Aurore handed Yael a prescription: “Something to prepare you for the examination. Use one one hour before leaving home and go to the toilet 30 minutes after. You may also wish to do it also two hours before.”

The prescription was for glycerin suppositories. Yael's eyebrows raised in surprise. She had not had these since her mother would treat her childhood bouts of constipation. Why this for an ultrasound? Did poop block the imaging? She pondered asking a question, but Aurore was already moving to other issues.

“You also need blood work done if, eventually, you have hormonal contraceptives prescribed. I may as well prescribe it now, it will save you a visit. I can see François next week, same time slot, if he's available.”

FRANÇOIS

François was uneasy. He had of course thought about bris, about circumcision, but the way that he was drawn into it by his mother-in-law, how an appointment with a physician had been made for him, that he had trouble to stomach. He did however not want to make a scene. Also, well, he needed advice on this sensitive question.

“So you are Yael's fiancé! Congratulations, she's a fine young lady. Getting all things ready for your wedding?”

That was one way of putting it, yes. They had booked a hall and were investigating catering for the celebration. And there was this more intimate issue…

“Oh yes, well this is a bit stressful, with the studies…

— I understand. Well, let's get this out of the way. Pants and briefs off, please, and lay on your back on the table.”

And so François did.

“Do you check your testicles?

— No?! Should I?

— Testicle cancer is deadly, particularly in young men. I'll do it now, and will give you a leaflet. You should do it every month or so. Or you'll ask Yael to do it.”

Aurore's gloved hand felt François' right testicle, then his left. “In case you feel any lump or anything unusual, you should consult quickly.”

Then, Aurore seized François' penis and pulled his foreskin back without resistance. The folds looked clean and without irritation. “No phimosis. That makes circumcision easier. You have the choice between undergoing it from a mohel, a traditional practitioner, or at a clinic with modern methods. Mohels generally deal with babies, if I were you I'd take the clinic.”

François nodded.

“I'll write you a note for a clinic that I suggest to my Muslim patients that want their son circumcised. They're very good. With modern means, it can be done in a few minutes under local anesthesia. You can opt to be knocked out with some gas, for an extra fee, but you're a big boy I guess you can witness the act! I advise buying circumcision briefs, they have a kind of plastic cage that avoids direct friction with clothing as it heals. They have some on sale on Amazon. Better take one week off work if you can… Oh yes you're a student, well try doing it during the break. You'll see me a couple weeks later to check the healing. In the meantime, you'll also do tests for STDs… urine and bloodwork. I'll write you a prescription, any lab can do it. Any question?”

François was feeling like being caught in a whirlwind.

“What are the… risks?

— Of circumcision? With the modern methods like in that clinic, very little. At most some swelling. The result is nice and clean. It reduces the risks of some diseases. Don't worry.”

François, like Yael before him, felt dragged into things. But what could he do? And so François made an appointment with the circumcision clinic, and Yael with Dr Abécassis…

YAEL

Yael felt uneasy visiting a gynecologist for the first time. Not only did she dread the examination, but also Aurore had hinted that she could have medical problems that warranted an examination by a specialist. She followed Aurore's instructions, and went in for the requested blood tests (unpleasant, but bearable).

The morning when she was scheduled for the gynecologist appointment, she used a glycerin suppository just after waking up. The sensation reminded her of when she had to stick her bottom out for mommy. She waited for a while, in the same way that she had been made to wait as a kid, until the urge to go to the toilet became strong and she had to “go”, relief mixed with a very shameful contentment as she expelled. She used another suppository a bit later, and this time she mostly expelled liquid glycerin, plus one last little turd.

Yael was nervous in the waiting room of the gynecological practice. She felt better when she saw a rather cheerful lady with brown curly hair calling her. Dr Noémie Abécassis was not so intimidating as she had thought.

Yael told the gynecologist the full story: how she was going to get married, how she had to consider contraception, how she had had irregular periods. Some of that was already in the note from Aurore, but there were details that she could fill. She also handed in the results of the blood tests. She became a bit more confident.

“Well, I may as well do a full examination. Please remove your shirt and bra.”

And so Yael did. Dr Abécassis did a full palpation of the breasts. “Nothing there. Good. Now you can put your bra and shirt back on, and remove your skirt and panties.”

Yael had a moment of anguish. She recalled how exposed she had felt with Aurore, and this examination was likely to be longer. She however took place.

Like Aurore had done, Dr Abécassis sat on a stool and conducted an external examination and an abdominal palpation. She then announced something that Yael had dreaded (she had looked up gynecological examinations online).

“I'm now going to conduct a speculum examination. Don't worry, I will take the smallest model.”

Smallest model or not, Yael disliked the cold, metallic penetration in her orifice.

“Relax. Think… think of sheep jumping over a fence.”

Easier said that done! She could feel the device stretch her hymen. The sensation became frankly unpleasant when the doctor opened it, before inserting the tip of a little camera. She pointed Yael to a little screen.

“This is your cervix. Well, things look good. I'll take some swabs now.”

This was Yael's first Pap smear, and it felt definitely unpleasant. At last, the speculum was folded again. Withdrawal pulled again on the hymen, but at least, she was free.

“Your hymen is quite tight. Intercourse may be painful or difficult the first times. It is possible to have it surgically removed, or at least cut.”

Yael blushed. She certainly did not want to discuss such issues. And now this doctor was proposing surgery to help her wedding night! She did not know what to answer.

“I don't think it will be necessary… I'll do it the natural way.

— Well, just remember that this is a possibility should you need it. In any case, I won't conduct a digital vaginal examination now, given how the speculum was difficult.

— Thank you.

— I'll do a rectal instead.”

A rectal?? Yael did not know that gynecologists did that! She had heard of rectal exams only for older men having prostate issues… So that was why Aurore had insisted on glycerin suppositories and going to the toilet before the examination! But the doctor was already busy with her anus

“Bear down, like for defecating.”

Yael obeyed, and a finger penetrated her anus. She had had only suppositories and the tip of a thermometer up there so far. Curiously, this was not so bad. Penetration was smooth. Even when the doctor palpated her insides, the discomfort was moderate. The finger existed.

“Now, for the ultrasound.”

Yael had seen images and videos of pregnant women undergoing abdominal ultrasound examinations, and thought it would be the same. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the doctor taking a long probe, shaped like a cylinder, and covering it with a kind of condom.

“Doctor, the speculum was I think the limit of what I can bear in my vagina.

— This is why it won't go into your vagina.”

Yael's eyes opened wide again. Already, the probe was at her opening, and she was again told to bear down. The lubricated device penetrated her smoothly and effortlessly. It however felt uncomfortable when the doctor moved the probe inside her. For a brief moment she wondered if anal sex felt like this; what an impure thought!

The probe was removed, and Yael was offered some towels to wipe herself.

“Polycystic ovarian syndrome, I'd say. You can get dressed.”

The doctor went on to explain possible courses of action, and advocated trying a contraceptive pill in order to regulate menstruation. Yael tried to pay attention, which was not easy: she had just had a stressful experience, it was over, and her adrenaline was going down.

As she was leaving Dr Abécassis's offices, Yael felt both relieved and somewhat humiliated. Aurore, given her insistence on glycerin suppositories, had known that she was likely to undergo a rectal exam and the ultrasound probe in the same orifice, but she had not warned her. This reminded her of episodes in childhood when an unpleasant event had been hidden from her and she was surprised when it was sprung on her. When would people treat her like an adult?

FRANÇOIS

François had done the STD tests: urine and bloodwork. Nothing detected. Then, there was the really stressful appointment: the circumcision clinic. François was feeling highly nervous when he entered. He felt strangely out of place. The waiting room was designed for children, with colorful pictures, children's books, images of cheerful doctors and nurses, and some robots and Pokémon. Muslim families with boys were waiting. He had brought some circumcision briefs. As told by the clinic, he had taken a shower with Bétadine the night before, and then another one in the morning.

He was taken into a room where he was told to disrobe and wear a gown. The room was also decorated for children. For a moment, he thought about his predicament. These boys were taken there by their parents. He had been sent there by his mother-in-law and by cousin Aurore.

As he was called into the next room, he regained his resolve. These boys had no choice. He had had the choice, he was doing that for Yael.

He was made to lie on his back, penis apparent through a hole in surgical drapes. His penis was measured, then carefully disinfected, his foreskin pulled all the way back. He was injected with anesthetics. Then he saw his foreskin pulled up with pliers.

A strange device was fitted to his glans, the foreskin was pulled over it. Then a bigger device was fixed around it.

“We do not often use an adult size.”, observed the surgeon.

The device was now locked onto his penis. The surgeon moved some handles, and François's foreskin was cut away and staples automatically placed all around his penis. The device was removed, the scar was disinfected again, and the nurse dressed it in bandages.

François was surprised to be asked, at the end of the surgery, if he wanted to retain his foreskin. « Some parents keep it as a memento. » Unsure what to do, he agreed. He was given an envelope with the picture of a smiling boy, his name and the date of the surgery.

François was deeply troubled as he rode a taxi back home. He had been told he could remove the bandages after two days. Would he bear the sight?

He discovered his new penis - the permanently bare glans, the circular scar, the staples. He washed it carefully with some antiseptic soap, as he had been told, despite the discomfort. His glans and the scar were overly sensitive; the advice to buy circumcision briefs had been good. The area was itching; and if he had the misfortune to experience an erection, it became painful. He was glad to see that these symptoms lessened as time passed.

Three weeks later he showed up for a visit to Aurore.

“Let's see that wee-wee, shall we?”

As he laid on the table and pulled down pants and briefs, he looked away from Aurore.

“Very nice result. I told you so, that clinic knows it job. There is one staple that did not drop, let me get some pliers…”

François had felt somewhat coerced into all this, and the praise of the very nice clean result was the icing on the humiliating cake. He was relieved when he could dress again, but he did not expect Aurore's last recommendations.

“Be careful with your penis. No rubbing yet for a week or two, and be careful. For Yael, the first times… use lubricant. Don't be shy on the dose.”

His eyes could not meet Aurore's after that.

François had previously held a rather naive view of circumcision - he had been told by a friend, who had had both circumcised and uncircumcised lover, that the two were the same when erect. That was untrue. Previously, when erect and with the foreskin pulled back, his glans was showing, then some folds of skins bunched up behind the corona. Now, when erect, there was a smooth line from skin to corona. At some point, the beige color of the skin gave way to a pink. This area, he soon learned, was very fragile and masturbation, as predicted by Aurore, had become difficult. Would he have to use lubricant for wanking off? The only benefit he was seeing so far to circumcision was that he no longer saw the white dirt that would normally accumulate and that he cleaned under the shower.

THE WEDDING

The marriage ceremony was beautiful. Was there a point when Aurore had a wry smile? Was she thinking that soon, the penis that she had arranged to be so nicely circumcised would penetrate the bride's tight vagina? Subconsciously, her left thumb and forefinger circled her right middle finger.

That evening, despite a good dose of lubricant, Yael definitely felt her deflowering. In the morning, she removed from the bed the piece of cloth on which her buttocks had lain; there were stains of semen, blood and lubricant. She would store it as a memento; in the old days, she would have exhibited it to the community…

Later, they ended up storing the two mementos, the envelope with the dried foreskin and the stained cloth, together in a drawer in the wardrobe, as intimate souvenirs of their wedding.