Routine gynecological exam
Does blood after an internal exam from a doctor render a woman a niddah?
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your question.
A regular gynecological exam does not usually make a woman niddah.
A routine "check up" generally includes a manual exam, a speculum exam and a Pap smear. In each of these examinations, the instruments enter only the vagina, not the cervix or uterus, and thus do not affect your niddah status in any way. Please refer to the section of our website on Gynecological Procedures (under Medical Topics) for more detailed information on these exams, and on when a procedure might make a woman niddah.
If you have heavy or persistent bleeding after an examination, ask the physician if he or she noticed any blood from the uterus when looking at your cervix. If he or she saw uterine bleeding, ask if it might have been the result of a scratch or irritation from an instrument and get back to us. If there was no bleeding from the uterus or cervix, then the bleeding is assumed to be vaginal and you are not considered niddah.
If any examinations other than those mentioned were performed, please get back to us with the names of the procedures and what instruments were used (including the diameter of the instruments).
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.
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