Contact with others' blood

I am a nurse-midwife and in the course of my profession, I may be exposed to menstrual blood of other women or the blood of childbirth from other women. How does this affect my status of niddah? Or is my status only based upon my own bleeding and not exposure to the blood of others?



Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

Your status is only based on your own bleeding.  Contact with other women's blood does not render you a niddah

However, you should try to make a mental note when your body or garments might get stained or when you sit somewhere that another woman has stained.  That can help you determine whether any stain you find on yourself could be attributed to another woman.

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases.

If you have further questions or comments about this email, please click here to Ask the Yoetzet.

The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefitted from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.


Related Articles

  The Onset of the Niddah Status
  The Definition of Niddah

Related Questions & Answers

  Rambam vs. Ramban
  Colored cloth pads
  Mistook staining for niddah
  Contact with others' blood
  Hormonally induced period
  Single women's status
  Conveying tumah

© 2008 Nishmat - The Jerusalem Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women Developed by AlmondWeb Designed by WDI