Tampons before marriage
31 January, 2005
Question:Hi, I have a question. I am a kallah, and am learning about all the laws/rules of nidda. I am concerned about one thing, but embarrassed to ask. I don't know if its something to be concerned about or not. We were learning how your husband is the one that breaks through the hymenal tissue the night of the wedding. We were told that the tissue spreads across the vagina about an inch in. In the past I have used tampons, I never knew that I wasn't supposed to. I also had a candida infection at one point and used a cream that required a tube to be placed in the vagina, and then the cream went in. Now I'm afraid that my hymenal tissue is already torn. I NEVER had any relations with a man. I don't know if its intact, or not. I don't know if I'm required to find out or not. I don't know if it can be an issue or not. Is it something that needs to be checked? Does it make a difference? Is it harmless? Please let me know. thank you.
Answer:There is no problem halachically or otherwise with using tampons before you are married. In fact, it may be preferable for girls to use tampons to become better acquainted with their bodies. Using tampons can also alleviate some of the fears associated with doing bedikot and having marital relations.
The opening of the vagina is partially covered by a membrane known as the hymen. There is a hole in this membrane which allows for the exit of menstrual blood and which is generally large enough to accommodate a thin tampon. During first intercourse, this membrane is stretched to the sides and may tear slightly, leading to bleeding. Since women generally marry at a later age nowadays than they used to, and due to the use of tampons, often a woman's hymen is already stretched. There is no need to have this checked out. Halachically, you are considered a virgin as long as you have not had intercourse in the past.You will therefore be considered niddah after the first time you have relations with your husband, according to the laws of dam betulim.
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. All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional.
For further questions or comments: 
The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha Site 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 benefited from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.
Users of Internet filtering services: This site discusses sensitive subjects that some services filter without visual indication. A page that appears 100% complete might actually be missing critical Jewish-law or medical information. To ensure that you view the pages accurately, ask the filtering service to whitelist all pages under yoatzot.org.
Ask a Yoetzet
Golda Koschitzky Hotline
