« L’absence ou la perte totale du pénis nécessitent l’exemption ». Virilité et conformité génitale dans l’examen médical d’aptitude au service militaire (fin xixe-début xxe siècle)

Abstract

During the Army recruitment process, the body of potential soldiers were examined by medical experts looking for indications of military unsuitability. The doctors had to inspect every part of the body, including the genitals. Certain pathologies and defects were indeed considered to be incompatible with military life. While practical considerations guided this exploration, the examination also reflected a certain masculine normativity whose characteristics were entirely dictated by the specific needs of the military institution. The inspection of the reproductive organs by military doctors remained purely anatomical and did not take into account the candidate’s sexual performance or ability to reproduce. In this respect, the conception of masculinity attached to this examination differed from others. It differed from that of ordinary physicians, who routinely considered other criteria than the appearance of the genitals to define the characteristics of the male body. It also differed from that of the recruits themselves, who frequently assimilated this medical examination to a test of their sexual potency.

Keywords

• masculinity
• medical exam
• fitness
• genitals
• army