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

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Blood after cervical swab

9 December, 2008

Question:

Hello!

First of all, I love browsing through your website, it’s so interesting and I learn so much more about taharat hamishpacha.

I have a question myself:

I’m pregnant (8th month) and had an exam of the cervix today. The doctor also took a vaginal smear and I saw that the cotton swabs were quite pink. When I asked him he said that this is probably some blood from the cervix (but not uterus). Does that make halachically a difference?

My question, what do I have to do now, am I nidah? I wear colored underwear, and until just after seeing the doctor I wore a white pad and there was absolutely nothing visible. Can I ignore what I saw on the swabs or do I have to make a bedika? If I have to make one, do I always have to check after a cervix exam?

Thanks for your answer


Answer:

B’Sha’ah Tovah, and thank you for the compliment!

Bleeding that is not uterine does not render you niddah. Staining is common after having a cervical exam. Your doctor was able to attribute the staining to trauma or irritation of the external part of the cervix, so you were not rendered niddah. You should continue to wear colored underwear, and wait at least a few seconds (ideally 15 seconds) between urinating and wiping to avoid questions with toilet paper.

You do not need to – and should not – perform a bedikah. We recommend that women perform bedikot only when halachically mandated (i.e., the hefsek taharah and shivah neki’im, and on onot perishah). A stain found on an internal bedikah is treated much more stringently than one found externally.

This response was updated on 8 February, 2024.


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