Manual Examination

During a manual examination, the physician inserts one or two gloved fingers into the vagina. If his or her other hand presses the abdomen, it is called a bimanual examination. This examination is often performed during pregnancy to determine the degree of opening of the cervix.

A manual examination does not usually render a woman niddah, as it takes place entirely within the vaginal canal and generally does not cause bleeding. If there is a small amount of blood on the gloved fingers, this can usually be attributed to abrasion (scratching) of the walls of the vagina – especially when the vaginal lining is sensitive and likely to bleed with minimal cause, such as during pregnancy or certain phases of the menstrual cycle, while a woman is taking oral contraceptives, or after menopause.

Information for your Health Care Provider

Click on the link(s) below for related articles from Jewish Women's Health, Nishmat's website for medical professionals. You may find it helpful to share this information with your physician by printing or emailing relevant articles, or by accessing the site during your appointment.   Specific Gynecological Procedures Gynecological Procedures and Jewish Law