The formal term for vaginal spasms is “Vaginisimus,” and according to Vaginismus.com, it is “vaginal tightness causing discomfort, burning, pain, penetration problems, or complete inability to have intercourse.”

Why does it happen?

The primary symptom of vaginisimus is the inability to have sexual intercourse, as the walls of the vagina tighten so much that penetration is impossible or extremely painful. The simple thought or awareness that pain may follow can cause severe muscle tightening or spasms in the vaginal walls.

What triggers it? 

Various factors cause vaginisimus, many of which are psychological causes that lead to physical symptoms.

How Is It Treated? 

If you are currently experiencing symptoms of vaginismus, seek professional help from a licensed physician at your earliest convenience. Finding solutions that work best for your body is the primary goal of your OB/GYN.

Find a licensed OB/GYN Here

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/10186-treat-vaginismus/?utm_source=undefined_R1

http://www.livestrong.com/article/144854-causes-of-muscle-spasms-in-the-vagina/

http://middlesexmd.com/condition/vaginismus

http://www.vaginismus.com/

Licensed Obstetricians/Gynecologists: https://www.residencyplace.com/PathFinder/ProgramList.aspx?ListType=0&Specialty=OB/GYN

Are there limits to sexual activities? Or should I say, are there limits to your sexual activities? How far will you go to please your mate? Is it really about pleasing him? Or do certain sexual acts peek your interests just a teensy bit? Is curiosity enough to kick your cat to the curb for the night? Are you willing to try some things once?

Okay – three times?

Sure, you’ve done oral, you let him cum in your face, nut in your mouth, you’ve swallowed, brought toys to the room. But for all you hardcore fuckers, have you ever taken it in the buns? I mean, getting your backdoor kicked in, when the crack that’s attacked is the one in back, having sex in the butt.  The ultimate form of birth control – next to swallowing.  We’ve all tried it once, right? Ten times? Hey, I’m not judging. This topic is not intended for the tight asses, (pun intended), so feel free to sit at the kiddie table anytime during this conversation.

The proper description for anal sex is when the penis is inserted into the anus of the person you are having sex with. In heterosexual relationships, for us women, we reach our orgasm through the stimulation of your clitoris or your g-spot. Some men enjoy inserting their penises in a woman’s anus because the anal sphincter is usually tighter than the vagina. The sphincter is also very sensitive and has many nerve endings, being the source of pleasure….or pain. For some people it is considered painful, because your mental apprehension of the act itself will make things very tense.

70-80% of women achieve orgasm through vaginal intercourse.  For the other 20-30% who can achieve the “Big O” through both anal and vaginal…good for us! I mean, you! Good for you!

Okay, now what you really want to know about your first time. DO NOT attempt to try this if you feel under pressure. If you are not ready you just are NOT ready. Make sure you are very comfortable and uninhibited with your partner, because such an experience can lead to an awkward situation, not easy to forget. And please, PLEASE, relax ALL of your muscles!!!!! Pain is mental, if you think it’s going to hurt, then it will. The hardest part is getting the head in, once it’s at the opening of your anus, I suggest you take a deep breath and in one swift motion “throw that ass back”. No you didn’t just go blind, breathe. There are other factors that you need to take into consideration as well. The position you are in when the penis is inserted, how much lube and what kind, and for a lot of us, how many drinks you may or may not have had. Whatever you need to do to make you relaxed, and comfortable.

Those of us, I mean, those of you, that have tried this with success, tend to enjoy it laying on your side or back shots.  Whereas a percentage of us….you, find it easier to get on top.  It is my belief that in an upright position, you allow full access for a penis to comfortably guide its way through the anal passage.  It hurts less, if at all….makes sense? Do you use the bathroom lying down? Ok. You can also have full control of the penis, and you can take it all in at your own pace, that way as well.

The most important detail that we cannot forget is the lube.  I know you all figure, lube? Astroglide, that is so “Lifestyle condoms” circa 1990. If you want this experience to be a smooth one, I suggest you try a lube that maintains the moisture factor throughout the whole experience. Here are some lubes you need to keep in the panty or boxer/brief drawer after you discard the baby oil and the Astroglide.

1.      Durex Play – very silky but slightly sticky. It comes in flavors such as Passion Fruit, Pina Colada and Very Cherry for you salad tossers.  It does dry out as quickly and will essentially leave you with a well tapped, and fruity booty.

2.      H2O – A latex safe lube that is not sticky, long lasting and silky.  It washes off easily and can also be licked off as well because it now comes in various flavors like, banana, chocolate, cherry, pineapple, peach, raspberry sorbet, pomegranate, strawberry, tangerine, watermelon and tropical passion.

3.      Swiss Navy Lubrication – Personally, I think this is the all-time best lubricant for your anal adventure. It is water based and slippery, as hell. Velvety smooth and condom safe. It never dries and eliminates any initial discomfort of anal penetration.  You don’t need to reapply this because it lasts right through to your orgasm(s).  Smooth enough for your partner to temporarily “coochify” your anus.

Which brings me to this.  The orgasm you will receive, in some opinions, is better than vaginal.  I’m trying not to seem too excited about expressing this to you, but the pleasure, you get, from a PROPER anal thrashing is absolutely MIND-BLOWING! Pure ecstasy. Do I sound excited? Well I am at the thought.  There are plenty nerve endings back there that will give you a sensation you may never receive vaginally. I’m not saying you must try it, but do it if you dare and if you are mentally prepared (or inebriated enough to try anything). It won’t change the person you have always been, but it may just introduce you to something new and extra in the bedroom and well needed in your sex life.

Look, if you can toss a salad, and swallow sperm, you can get fucked in the ass guilt free.

Happy Humping!

  –BunzBee

What To Expect When He’s Expecting

Let’s face it. Giving head can be very humiliating if you’re not “into” it like that. But giving head is almost like a prerequisite these days. Most relationships won’t survive or even begin without it, which is why if you’re going to do it, why not be the best at it? Why not take that humiliation and turn it around into something to be celebrated, something that your man can’t live without, and something that he will not search for in another woman because he would be wasting his time? Now in my previous blog, http://byayanaellis.com/a-hands-on-course-in-oral-sex/ I discussed the art of giving head, how to be comfortable, how to be sexy and confident and how to make your man’s toes curl. But there are other attributes to giving head.  What to expect when HE’S expecting? You know, your man’s body begins to stiffen, that grip on your hair tightens, he’s beginning to get a little rough with your face, his shaft hardens and begins to pulsate, you guys are in a hot and heavy mood, the head his great, he’s moaning your name, then splat! He comes in your mouth, or if you pull away fast enough he comes on your face, your breasts the sheets, you jump up in disgust, wipe your mouth, spit the cum in a towel, either way you didn’t know what to do when he was cummin so you wasted 20 minutes giving this man head, giving him the best pleasure of his life just to ruin it at the last minute. It’s like sitting 2 hours through a movie and someone walking in during the last 5 minutes and tells you the ending. You’d be pissed! Such as your man feels when you slap his dick out your face in disgust when he’s about to cum.  The head is good and when he’s about to cum, every man is praying, please let her let me cum in her mouth, please let her swallow. 

Now because of the nature of this act and how some men equate “cummin in a woman’s mouth/face etc.” to not having respect for said female, a lot of women refuse to swallow. But what does the opinions of society or a few immature womanizers have to do with the chemistry between you and the man you’re sleeping with? Outside influences do not belong in the bedroom. What you and your mate do is strictly between the two of you. And so now this man is cummin.  What do you do? Do you start over thinking? Oh my God if I let him cum in my mouth he’s gonna think I’m a slut. Well if that’s the case, what do you think he was thinking the entire 20 minutes you were giving him head?  Stop over thinking when giving oral sex. The only thing you should be thinking about is pleasing your mate, pleasing yourself and the smile that’s going to crawl across his face when you slurp up his yumminess with all the confidence and sexual allure in the world.

So he’s cummin, your over thinking, but you have to put yourself in his shoes, would you want the man to move when you’re about to squirt or cum? No. So stay and brace yourself and the only thing you should be praying and concerned about is this man’s diet because everything he takes in will determine the taste and texture of what you’re about to experience.

So he’s cummin and you feel the first squirt of liquid and your eyes want to bug open but you keep it cool because you better believe if his eyes weren’t open the entire time you were giving him head, its open now. He’s watching you now, the visual of his lady, partner etc., swallowing him is the crème de la crème of the entire act, the grand finale, the standing ovation, the it, the all, the end, the everything, the reason he keeps you and dumps the rest, the reason he’s faithful in most cases, the reason he brings you flowers and stays home with you on Football Sunday instead of going to the sports bar. THIS is the moment when he realizes how much you will do to please him and keep the fire burning in your (sexual) relationship and how much of a freak you are. Every man wants a freak in the bed.

So he’s cummin, relax, open your mouth softly, and make sure it’s wet. The visual is everything to a man at this point.  Your mouth is wet, open, with a slight smirk, because you’re ready and you know he’s about to blow it.  He cums, he’s grabbing your hair, probably jerking himself excessively, getting it all out.  You feel like a smut, because he’s emptying his everything into your face.  But that is not what he thinks, in fact he’s not thinking of you at all at that moment. He is so busy enjoying the grand finale of that wonderful head you gave him the only person judging and worrying is you. 

So he came and it’s in your mouth. Providing the fact that it doesn’t taste that bad to you, you have two options. The first would be to swallow it, simple, swallow it, smile, lick your lips then lay on his stomach and relax, take it all in, be okay with it. He’s breathing heavy, he’s basking in the ambience, it’s all good, in a few seconds you’ll be up making him a sandwich or handing him the cup of water he left on his computer desk. You have pleased your man, he’s happy, you didn’t die and it’s all good.

The Second Option would be to….

If you’re a really naughty girl, I mean a really naughty girl behind closed doors, after he cums in your mouth, you’d let it leak back down his shaft, then slurp it back up again, several times THEN swallow it. 

Either way, don’t sit hours through a movie just to walk out at the end. Stick it out till the credits roll.

 Previous Posts by Ayana Ellis 

For Books by Ayana Ellis visit Amazon.com

Ayana Ellis is also a Freelance writer for Don Diva Magazine.

Website: ByAyanaEllis.com

Twitter @AyanaEllis

Facebook.com/AyanaEllis

At a certain time in every young woman’s life, she will get her period. It’s a rite of passage, but it’s not anywhere near elegant or fun (like we wish it would be). The first time may be a bit confusing, frustraiting and sometimes messy – but equipping yourself with information can save you a lot of time (and embarrassment). There are many myths and rumors that come with using tampons, today we will try to de-bunk some of them.

First, let’s talk about what a tampon actually does:

The word “Tamp” is defined as:

1. Pack (a blast hole) full of clay or sand to concentrate the force of the explosion.
2. Ram or pack (a substance) down or into something firmly: “he tamped down the tobacco with his thumb”.

1. Using a Tampon Means You’re Losing Your Virginity.

– This is definitely false. While inserting certain items into the vagina can cause the hymen to break, a tampon is very small and too thin to have any effect on the size or shape of a vagina.

2. They Hurt! 

This is also false. In this day and age, tampons have evolved from the cardboard applicator which isn’t always comfortable for beginners. Choose a round-tip applicator for your first few tries. The plastic is “pearlized,” which gives it a smooth finish and makes it easier to insert and guide into the vagina. Choose the absorbency that best describes your period. If you have a light period, do not use super tampons. There will not be enough lubrication to remove the tampon without discomfort.

Be sure to insert the tampon all the way into the vagina until your fingers holding the applicator touch the tip of your labia. This ensures that there’s no tampon sticking out of the vagina, which can cause major discomfort.

3. They Can Get Lost in “There”

The key to avoiding this is always knowing where your tampon string is. Especially if you use no-applicator tampons (like OB), it is relatively easy to insert the string along with the tampon. Tug on the string to make sure it’s secure and keep sight of it while inserting it. A great tip is to gently place the string along the inside of your labia (Outer lips of the vagina). It ensures that the string remains visible at any given time.

– Keeping track of how often you change your tampons can also help avoid this problem. If you KNOW you put a tampon in at 12pm, but haven’t been to the bathroom since and can’t find it – you may need to retrieve it (string and all) from your vagina. This is not uncommon and takes a little time to fix.

4.  I Can Die From Moldy Tampons

This is somewhat true, but there are numerous ways to avoid it. Mold on tampons may be caused by a number of factors, including bleach used to create the perfectly white appearance. The best way to avoid this is to examine your tampon before using it; checking for anything that may seem out of the ordinary, or dark shadows coming through the slightly opaque applicator.

Kimi Suggests: Try applicator-free tampons. Brands like OB take an eco-friendly route with their tampons which require no waste (aside from the thin plastic wrapper). The tampons are entirely visible and work just as well as tampons with applicators. Natural health stores also sell dye-free cotton tampons with and without applicators.

Changing tampons every 3-4 hours will also eliminate the risk of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) – discussed Here.

Benefits of Tampons: 

With practice, using a tampon will only take a matter of seconds (including insertion and package disposal).

They are known to reduce the pain caused by cramps as they alleviate the pressure that creates discomfort. It is also said to reduce bloating.

Using applicator-free or cardboard applicator tampons reduce waste and the amount of pads/applicators in landfills, which helps the environment. Cardboard applicators biodegrade and are flushable.

Tampons can help you go through your day without worrying about leakage messing up your white pants, heavy flows bringing down your energy or being unable to go swimming on vacation.

Using tampons are a personal choice, but definitely something to look into. Browse your local pharmacy store and try a small pack to see what works for you.

Sources:

Toxic Shock Syndrome: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001676/

BeingGirl.com – http://www.beinggirl.com/article/tampon/

A Guide to Using Your First Tampon: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/tampon.html

10 Tips on Using Tampons for the First Time: http://allwomenstalk.com/10-tips-on-using-tampons-for-the-first-time/

There are various causes for vaginal sweat, some of which make the issue more noticeable than normal. A condition known as hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating, can be seen in different parts of the body; including the hands, feet, face, chest and head. The genital region is no different. If there are sweat glands, there can be an excess of sweat.

Waxing or shaving the genital region can make sweating more prominent, as hair absorbs the moisture caused by sweating. Without pubic hair to act as a barrier, sweat is absorbed by the underwear and/or clothing placed over the genitals. If you have issues with sweating, consider a bikini wax only, and allow the hair to remain at the pubis.

Cotton panties/briefs are a helpful way to avoid the odor caused by sweat. Sweating produces a chemical called Urea, that is also found in urine; when drying or in excess amounts it may create a urine-like odor. Since cotton is porous, it allows oxygen to circulate and keep the odor at a minimum. Wick-away undergarments are also an option, as they draw moisture away from the genital region. There are underwear with waterproof barriers available as well.

Changing your diet may also assist in this issue, as foods high in sugar, salt, caffeine and alcohol can increase the level of sweat produced. Drinking water often will reduce the level of urea in the body and minimize the odor.

Sweat Pads: If all else fails – try these. Most companies cater these to underarms, but breathable pantiliners also serve the same purpose. Check out the search here to see if any of these will be of assistance.

Always remember to see a licensed physician when faced with issues that affect your health. Only a doctor can truly diagnose whether you have a medical condition or a minor issue. Seek help if and when the issue begins to affect your daily life or regimen.

Sources:

http://www.professionalfit.com/catalog/view_item.php?id=146

http://www.steadyhealth.com/Increased_Vaginal_Sweating_t65999.html

http://www.sweathelp.org/en/

via Huffington Post:

This bar is guaranteed to get a lot of buzz . . . if only for the battery-operated sex toys.

Love Joule, a colorful new bar in the Shibuya district Tokyo, is the first “love and sex bar dedicated to women,” according to the Tokyo Reporter. What does this mean, exactly? Proprietor Megumi Nakagawa minces few words.

“Once they take a seat, customers are able to experience a pleasant place in which they can openly discuss masturbation,” she said. “Since most people view female masturbation as something of a mystery or taboo, it is not a usual topic at typical bars.”

It’s hard to imagine not talking about the bar’s unique theme. Behind the counter, where rows of liquor bottles would normally stand, are colorful display cases filled with dozens and dozens of different types of vibrators.

The spot is already a hit with women in the commercial sex and burgeoning adult film industry, according to its Facebook page, which sites former adult video star Nayuka Mine and model Sayo Hayakawa as customers.

Akiko Teishi, a reporter for blog Bikyamasr.com, visited the bar recently and spoke to some of its patrons.

“I go because it is a safe place and I don’t have to worry about trying to brush off men all the time,” said a customer going by the name Sayama. “Add in that it is also a great place to drink and talk about what we women love to talk about, sex and guys, that’s also a big pull.”

According to the blog, Ikuko Ikeshita a doctor with the Ikeshita Ladies’ Clinic, said that over the past few years, “there has been a movement to do away with the stigma surrounding female masturbation in Japan, pointing to the increase in websites discussing female sexuality and stores selling female sex goods.” Love Joule is just part of this general trend.

The sanctity of the space is preserved by a policy prohibiting single men from entering— men are only welcome if they are accompanying a woman, according to Rocket News.

Men without a female companion will just have to wonder what’s going on inside. Luckily for them, male masturbation doesn’t face the same stigma.

Guys not lucky enough to secure a Love Joule invite may want to check out Koichi Matsumoto’s customized toys “just for men.” Since 2005, Matsumoto’s company Tenga has sold more than 15 million male masturbation units worldwide, according to Salon, including 6.5 million units of his best-seller, the disposable Tenga Egg.

Source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/love-joule-japans-first-bar-devoted-female-masturbation-opens-tokyo_n_1930552.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

The Fokken twins are 70 year-old sisters who have been prostituting for decades.

One sister has given up the life, while the other continues to pay the bills.

And some of us worry about keeping our libidos up in our 30’s!

From the Writer’s Desk: 

While all of our Awkward Question and Information articles will contain facts, sometimes we have to step into a world of opinion. I’m not perfect, but I can speak about a lot of events from experience. Today, I will do that – and I ask that you take these things into consideration when reading. We want to enlighten and empower everyone here at VForVadge. Always remember that…

Growing up in the 90’s and 2000’s was the era of sexuality; it seemed like every teen I knew was having sex. We called it “jaying” back then, but it was also referred to by some raunchier names. Anyway, it wasn’t uncommon to be 12 and 13 having sex back then – for the kids in the hood it was like a rite of passage. All the girls with the grown up bodies seemed to be doing it and becoming popular – why not do it, too?

Now, I wasn’t the most popular girl in school – I was the quirky girl who hung out with one of the most popular girls. You could call me a nerd, but I’d call myself a bookworm. I started getting breasts at 9 years old – as well as my period, and by 12 I was a 32C cup bra and medium panty.  Soccer had conditioned my body into that of a young Serena Williams; I had developed a grown woman’s body. I wasn’t the least bit interested in sexual intercourse, though. I had discovered masturbation by the age of 11 (sneak reading erotic books in my mom’s room), and was quite satisfied with that. It wasn’t until I found myself having a “boyfriend” that sex even became a topic for me.

I was 12, he was about 15 – we dated for about eight months before he started asking to have sex. I wasn’t interested; I’d tell him no all the time and he’d continue his life without complaining too much. One day, we were alone and he took the opportunity to try and force me to have sex with him. Even my best friend at the time was pressuring me to do it. I resisted; tightening all my muscles out of fear, and he forced himself inside of me anyway.

There was blood everywhere. On the bed, on his clothes – on me. It was a steady stream that just wouldn’t stop. I ran into the bathroom to hide, blood following me to the toilet. Days later I was still bleeding. Just imagine three and a half weeks of continuous menstruation. Soaking through layers of pads and even jeans – but I was too ashamed to tell anyone. Apparently my hymen was torn and also ruptured something else. I almost died from the blood loss and was extremely anemic. I couldn’t even play in P.E. (gym) class. All because I didn’t know how to say no. To make matters worse, he went to school and told everybody he scored (even though it barely lasted three minutes). How humiliating.

We can ignore the fact that teenagers and young adults have sex – or we can acknowledge and talk about it. Luckily for me, I wasn’t labeled a whore or made an outcast because of it – but there are so many young women who are. Knowing who you are is half of being a woman. If you’re not sure about yourself – chances are you’re not sure about having sex. It can wait. If you don’t know that unprotected sex can give you diseases you can’t see – chances are you need to hold off on putting out. If you’re not in a steady relationship with one guy – you definitely want to re-think your choice.

Trust me, it catches up with you in time. Promiscuous girls back in my day are still finding it very hard to get into serious relationships with men at 25-28 years old. Guys still remember what you did last summer, or the summer of 2002 AND who you did it with. Many of the girls I grew up with have children but no fathers for them, no wedding ring and no money. If you don’t know that not using condoms can lead to pregnancy – WAIT. He won’t die, and if he leaves for someone else then he wasn’t worth your time.

I held out a lot, mostly because I had the same boyfriend from age 13 to age 21. Even then, we had serious discussions about sex – sometimes we practiced celibacy. It’s a true test of a relationship when a guy doesn’t need sex to be around you. If you’re worth it, he’ll wait. Take your time, get to know him. Sometimes – you’ll find out he has a disease that even he didn’t know about. It’s the simple things in life that make the biggest impact.

If you need to talk about it – I’m here. Think about it before you do it. 

vforvadge@gmail.com

What’s the average time of sex from a teenager versus an adult’s time? I find that I had sex for close to a hour, if not over a hour when I was younger compared to now, it being no more than 20 minutes. Thirty minutes and he’s a lucky dude. Is there something wrong with ME?

Unfortunately, there were no real statistics in regards to teenage sex vs adult sex – but I can attest to your concern. In our younger years, stamina and libido are at an all time high, due to peaks in our hormones at puberty. In girls, puberty usually starts around 11 years of age, but it may start as early as 6 or 7 years of age. In boys, puberty begins around 12 years as age, but may start as early as 9 years of age. Puberty is a process that goes on for several years. Most girls are physically mature by about 14 years of age. Boys mature at about 15 or 16 (FamilyDoctor, 2010). Depending on how old you were when you started having intercourse, your level of energy may have been slightly higher or lower than the average.

Consider what life is like now and what it was when you were seventeen – how much do you do in an average day? In high school, our average day consisted of waking up, going to school and coming home. Factor in whether you had a part-time job  or not – think of all the extra time that was available. What about now? Get up, go to work, go to school/pick up the kids. It’s a lot different now that we have extra responsibilities.

Secondly – think about the quantity of sex versus the quality of it from then and now. Most teens were having sex just to say they were doing it; many of them five or six times a week (if not every day). If you polled them and asked how much of it was memorable, I doubt you’d get fifty percent in agreement. Nowadays we as adults have sex for enjoyment, often factoring in that we have little time to spare for the art of it. Many of us skip the foreplay (which adds about 30 minutes to the entire event) and jump straight to the main course. Food’s on the stove, the baby’s crying – there’s still homework left to be done; we’re often trying to get it over and done with. Hence, the faster time of completion.

That doesn’t mean that sex isn’t better these days. Adults tend to be more mature and in tune with their bodies, it’s easier to obtain climax when you know what to do. Let’s not forget that much of teenage sex was spent fumbling around looking for the correct anatomy. “Is it in yet?” sound like a familiar question?

So don’t worry if it only lasts 30 minutes – sometimes all you need is fifteen!

Sources:

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/teens/puberty-sexuality/puberty-what-to-expect-when-your-child-goes-through-puberty.html

http://marvel.wikia.com/Teen-Age_Romance_Vol_1_82

Published: September 12, 2012

Denouncing City’s Move to Regulate Circumcision

By SHARON OTTERMAN

The grandmother carried the sleeping infant boy on a white pillow toward the synagogue’s altar, and passed him to her son. Her son carried the infant toward the mohel, or Jewish ritual circumciser, who stood amid a cluster of chanting men.

The mohel lifted the infant’s clothing to expose his tiny penis. With a rapid flick of a sharp two-sided scalpel, the mohel sliced off the foreskin and held it between his fingers. Then he took a sip of red wine from a cup and bent his head. He placed his lips below the cut, around the base of the baby’s penis, for a split second, creating suction, then let the wine spill from his mouth out over the wound.

“You’re O.K.,” he said to the infant, Benjamin Asher Mortob, who stopped crying after several more seconds. The sanctuary filled with elated prayer.

The mohel, A. Romi Cohn, said he had performed more than 25,000 circumcisions, on babies and adults, in New York City and elsewhere over the last 40 years. When he circumcises an infant, he said, he almost always put his mouth on the baby’s penis to pull blood away from the wound in an ancient part of the circumcision ritual, known in Hebrew as metzitzah b’peh, that is still commonplace in parts of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community but is rare in other branches of Judaism.

The city estimates that metzitzah b’peh is used in some 3,600 local circumcisions each year. The city’s health department says that, between 2000 and 2011, 11 babies contracted herpes as a result, and 2 of them died. This spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that the procedure created a risk for transmission of herpes and other pathogens and was “not safe.”

So on Thursday, the city’s Board of Health is scheduled to vote on a proposal that would require parents to sign a consent form indicating that they are aware of the risk of herpes transmission when a circumcision procedure, or bris, includes direct oral contact.

The measure, which Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg strongly supports, would probably be the first governmental regulation of the ritual in the United States, rabbis say. It would not affect the way most Jewish ritual circumcisions are performed — gauze or a sterile pipette is used to pull blood from the wound — nor would it ban the practice. But the issue being raised in New York coincides with moves in Denmark, Germany and other countries toward restricting or banning infant circumcision.

Mr. Cohn, 83, said that he would rather go to jail then comply with the consent requirement. While he acknowledged that there were unqualified circumcisers who work without proper health testing and training, he said he believed that the ritual was completely safe when performed by him or another practitioner certified by an association of circumcisers; he is the chairman of the group.

“If you follow strictly the ritual, there will be no harm to the baby,” he said. A circumcision, he added, “is a joyous occasion — nothing traumatic about it.”

And Benjamin Asher’s father, Isaac Mortob, 27, said his family had sought out Mr. Cohn in part because he did the procedure in the traditional way, including the oral suction. “I don’t want a 99 percent job, I want a 100 percent job,” he said. “I want him” — his firstborn son — “to be fully Jewish.”

But city health officials say the mohel’s safeguards, which include rinsing with Listerine before the procedure, sterilizing tools, scrubbing hands with surgical soap and being tested annually for pathogens, are insufficient.

The main virus that worries the city is oral herpes, which is present in some 70 percent of the city’s adult population and can cause fatal infections in babies. Highly contagious, it is spread through contact with infected saliva, even by sharing drinks or towels.

“There is no safe way to perform oral suction on an open wound in a newborn,” said Dr. Jay K. Varma, the city’s deputy commissioner for disease control. If the measure passes, he said, circumcisers who do not comply could face warning letters or fines.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders plan to sue the city if the regulation is passed, arguing that the measure would constitute an unconstitutional infringement on their religious freedom. Some 200 ultra-Orthodox rabbis published a decree in late August warning adherents that it was forbidden “to participate in the evil plans of the New York City health department,” according to a translation by Yeshiva World News. And a Jewish religious court in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, went further, stating that oral suction was a mandatory part of the procedure that should be promoted.

“There is nothing to worry from metzitzah b’peh,” the judges wrote, according to a translation by the Chabad Lubavitch movement. “To the contrary, it is very beneficial, even according to the doctors.”

But other Jewish leaders disagree.

Rabbi Gerald C. Skolnik, the president of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of conservative rabbis, said he supported the Board of Health’s move to require parental consent. He said that direct suction was not required by Jewish law and that the serious risks of the practice were “inconsistent with the Jewish tradition’s pre-eminent concern with human life and health.”

In 2005, the Rabbinical Council of America, the main union of modern Orthodox rabbis, urged that a sterile glass tube be used for suction, rather than the mohel’s mouth. But the group opposes the city’s effort to regulate the practice; instead it has asked the city to work with Orthodox groups “to voluntarily develop procedures to effectively prevent the unintended spread of infection.”

Mr. Cohn, a Holocaust survivor and retired real estate developer who lives on Staten Island, has written a textbook on circumcision. He said he had trained some 80 mohels over the years. After each circumcision, he places the thimble-size foreskin in a small jar of sand and ground cloves that he carries. He wants one day to be buried with the jars at the Mount of Olives in Israel, where Jewish tradition says the Messiah will arrive.

When he stands with a prayer shawl over his head awaiting the babies — he sometimes does three or four a day — he looks out into congregations filled with men he has circumcised; sometimes grandfathers, fathers and sons in the same family. Because he is performing a religious obligation, his services are free. Never, he said, had there been an infection.

But not everyone involved always knows there is oral suction included in the bris — or that herpes can be transmitted by contact with infected saliva.

Benjamin Asher’s grandmother, Sara Mor, who had carried him carefully up to the altar last week at the Sephardic Synagogue on Avenue S in Brooklyn, said she had not heard of it, though she has four sons.

“I never watch it, I’m scared to watch it,” she said of the circumcisions. “I don’t know what they are doing there.”

And in Brooklyn last week, at a bris so fancy with glittering dresses and Louboutin heels that it looked like a wedding, Danielle Alfaks, 22, said she had found out two days earlier that the mohel would put his mouth over the wound of her 8-day-old son, Eli. “That’s freaky, for me,” she said at a brunch reception after the circumcision at Congregation Shaare Zion on Ocean Avenue. But she added she would sign a consent form if asked.

Eli’s uncle, Mourdi Alfaks, 32, held him as Mr. Cohn performed the procedure. “He’s the greatest mohel who ever lived in history,” he said. He would not sign a consent form, he said, because “it makes no sense.”

Earlier that morning, Eli’s father, Albert Alfaks, 29, wiped a tear from his eye as he handed Mr. Cohn the scalpel, echoing Abraham’s circumcision of his son, Isaac, in the Bible.

Of the mohel, he said, “I guess I feel like if that’s what he has to do, God bless him.”

Source: 

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/114/2/e259/F1.expansion.html

http://postracial.net/2012/07/09/jewish-circumcision-ritual-condemned-after-babies-contract-herpes/

German Court criminalizes jewish circumcision