Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Blood after relations post menopause

31 August, 2009

Question:

Shalom,

I experienced menopause at age 52, as a widow. I recently remarried at age 61, and noticed that upon intercourse, there was blood on the quilt and a slight pinkish stain on the pad I used for bedika, after I noticed the bloodstains on the quilt. I imagined that this blood may be due to being sensitive in the vaginal area during intercourse, after not having had relations for a very long time. Is this blood considered niddah blood, and if so, do I have to exercise the usual behavior during niddah status, i.e., hefsek, 7 clean days and mikveh? Thank you.


Answer:

Mazal tov on your recent wedding!

Whether or not you are considered niddah depends on confirming that you had some other cause for bleeding, which sounds most plausible.  Please see your physician or a bodeket, niddah-trained nurse, to check if you have a lesion or clear sensitivity that would lead to the bleeding.  If you do, you may attribute the bleeding to that and resume married life as usual. 

If not, please get back to us or a local halachic authority, including details on how long after relations you found the blood, what color surface it was found on, its size and color, whether you performed an internal bedikah with the pad and how soon after relations you did so.

If your bleeding was from sensitivity, it may help to use a vaginal moisturizer prior to your next relations.


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