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

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Mikveh after abortion

22 December, 2004

Question:

I recently needed to have a surgical abortion, and have bleeding (essentially) since the procedure, but it appears to be diminishing now. How long do I need to wait to immerse in the mikvah? Does abortion follow the status of a period or of childbirth?

I'm way to shy to ask this question to anyone that I know.

Thank you


Answer:

Like a miscarriage, abortion within forty days of conception follows the halachot of a period.  From forty days onward, it follows the halachot of childbirth.  In either case, you would have to wait five days from the abortion, perform a hefsek taharah,and count seven clean days just as you do after a period. If it was more than forty days after conception and the fetus was not known to be male, then you would have to wait at least 14 days total from the time of the abortion until mikveh immersion.


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