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

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Brown on pre-wedding hefsek

16 August, 2003

Question:

I’m getting married a week from tomorrow. I have been married before, but am totally new to the practice of family purity. I have always had irregular periods, and have been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, although I lost weight and started having my periods more regularly *about* every four weeks most of the time, sometimes up to eight weeks. I went on the pill because I wanted to be able to control my period and go to the mikveh. However, I am having a light brown discharge. I just started the pill with my last period, then skipped the placebos after the 21 days and went directly to the next pack. It’s my 29th day on the pill. it’s Saturday night, I’m getting married a week from tomorrow, and my attempts at a hefsek have all had this light brown discharge. Help!
ps – thank you for your wonderful website.


Answer:

A color of light or dark brown on a hefsek needs to be evaluated. It is not possible on the website to determine whether it is halachically acceptable or not. Therefore please take it to a halachic authority, since it may in fact be fine and then you could start your seven clean days the next day. Ask how many internal checks you should do considering your medical history and the time constraint of the wedding.

Please note for the future that it is advisable not to skip placebos when first starting the pill if you want to avoid breakthrough bleeding. It is better to gradually add the number of active pills each cycle so that the body slowly adjusts to the new hormones.

If you do not know where to turn, please call Nishmat’s Golda Koschitzky Women’s Halachic Hotline. This service is available toll-free from the U.S. and Canada. From anywhere else, it’s a phone call to Israel. The hotline is staffed by Yoatzot Halacha fluent in both Hebrew and English.


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.

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