Running counter to the many stories of men wanting PA piercings for years prior to the act, my interest arose suddenly through incidental happenstance. At work one afternoon, I was salvaging some metal hardware about to be wastefully discarded and happened to be struck, with fetishistic fervor, by two steel 'D' rings I would guess to be about 2-gauge. Something about them got me thinking in terms of BDSM leatherwear, which somehow led to thoughts about one of them being used in a piercing and, lo and behold, the spirit of Prince Albert inspired in me a suddenly biding obsession. Funny how the mind links things.

Bridging the gap between impulsive notion and completed procedure was an intensive couple of weeks of online research. The many photos I viewed confirmed that I liked the look of the piercing, and the countless stories of minimal pain and rapid healing quickly erased my fears and bolstered my courage and resolution to proceed with the venture. I found the shared experiences an invaluable resource as I had no personal contacts bearing PA's to interview, (at least as far as I knew). The only PA I had previously seen in person, (and handled with some trepidation for fear of hurting the man), was at 'Camp Jiffy Lube' at Burning Man, (what better place for a PA introduction).

Having been ordained to 'Be Thou Pierced', I naturally had to find a sacred (and sanitary) space in which to answer the calling. So I went to church, specifically the Church of Steel in San Diego. Based on positive reviews, an informative website, and a friendly and professional demeanor, (prevalent when I scoped the place out), the Church of Steel quickly won my vote as piercing-ground-of-choice. I made an appointment for the following Saturday, when I knew I would be off of work for a few days.

My one remaining concern was the often-cited potential for extended bleeding so, in the days leading up to my appointment, I started taking Vitamin K supplements and ate Vitamin K-rich foods, (K is a key vitamin for blood-clotting mechanisms and is reportedly deficient in people with type 'O' blood; my blood type). Additionally, having read that they can be a hindrance to healing, I stopped drinking coffee and alcohol during the two days prior to the piercing and for ten days afterward. Finally, I stocked up on two rolls of gauze to get me through the bloody aftermath.

Surprisingly, I barely felt nervous about the procedure at any time. So Saturday night I put myself into the capable hands of Evan Webb at Church of Steel and he was so professional that I never doubted a positive outcome. The insertion of the much-maligned 'receiving tube' was, for me as for many, a bit uncomfortable, though only mildly painful. Evan told me to take a deep breath and release it and I felt a little increase in the pain for about two seconds, (I'd say a 3 on a 1-to-10 pain scale), which I thought was the tube being inserted further, but was actually the piercing action. "Was that it?", I asked, and got a 'Yes' confirmation. I was amazed. I believe that Evan used a 12- or 14- gauge needle and then immediately stretched the piercing to insert the 10-gauge jewelry which felt strange, but not particularly painful. The entire operation was incredibly quick and straightforward and, to my great relief, was completed without a drop of blood to be seen. I had expected to walk out the door with my dick wrapped in gauze and/or a rubber glove, but I proudly stepped onto the sidewalk with nothing but my fabulous new captive-bead-ring tucked away in my pants.

I needed to catch a bus home, and even though I felt perfectly fine, I had read tales of men feeling faint after being pierced and decided, while I waited, to gobble down a king-sized Snickers bar as a preventive measure. Recommendations to have a snack on hand to remedy potential wooziness had prompted my adding the candy bar to my preparatory arsenal, but for some reason the strategy backfired and I felt really light-headed within minutes of eating the damned thing. I felt so affected that I was debating whether or not to return to the shop for help when the approaching bus appeared down the street. I gambled on timely recovery, boarded the bus and, thankfully, felt much better after sitting down for a moment. I guess the lesson is to only eat the snack if needed and/or hang out for a while at the piercing establishment afterward to make sure you won't feel faint.

Be it genetic predisposition, Vitamin K, and/or piercing expertise, the bleeders out there will envy me because the healing of my PA proceeded with no evidence of blood beyond the slightest hint of red at my urethral opening. I happily returned my unopened rolls of gauze to Rite Aid for a refund. I was determined to optimize my healing potential by being the model 'patient' and do everything by the book so I regularly performed my sea-salt soaks, took my vitamin C, K, and Zinc supplements, stayed off the booze and coffee, and got sufficient rest. Where I fell from grace and thwarted the best-laid plans of mice and pierced-men was in the area of abstinence. Ever so nobly, I had resolved not to masturbate for at least two weeks to a month. Well, I have to admit that boys will be boys and such a sacrifice is an immense challenge; at least it is when this hot-looking new ring is giving you erections and oozing pre-cum several times a day. Needless to say, day four saw me 'self-servicing' while very carefully avoiding contact with the jewelry; a technique I tried to employ regularly during my several 'departures-from-abstinence' throughout the healing interval. Lastly, I did find that the close-fitting underwear I customarily use put pressure on the ring which was uncomfortable so, for lack of boxers, I have felt much better going without underwear thus far; though I do now again wear my Spandex bike shorts for my cycling commutes without discomfort.

I count myself lucky, (or maybe it's fairly common), that every potential negative I had read or heard regarding PA's has proven untrue for me. The pain was not agonizing. Healing was rapid. I didn't bleed. Controlled urination is not an issue. I love the look of the jewelry and I feel it complements and enhances my personality and sexuality. I can hardly wait to begin stretching up to larger gauges, especially that 2-gauge which started me off on this whole journey. So, yes, if you want a PA, find a qualified professional piercer and join the club.