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

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

IUI procedures

26 July, 2009
Question:

My husband and I are getting ready for IUI – first of all, I have heard about a special condom for collection, but not sure if my doctor will allow it – second, my doctor wants me to do it before I go to the mikvah if I am ovulating before then. And third, I’ve heard something about watching over the sperm while it’s being washed to make sure it’s my husband’s – are all of these things preferable but not necessarily assur? I am under a lot of pressure with this process and don’t know if I can do all of these extra “steps”.


Answer:

Collecting sperm during relations with a sterile, unlubricated condom is one halachically acceptable method of collection, though it is prohibited during niddah. Please see here for more discussion of the alternatives.

We follow the viewpoint that IUI (intrauterine insemination) is permissible during niddah when necessary. There is a range of opinion on how the procedure affects counting the clean days. Please see our discussion here, and feel free to get back to us with more details about the timing of the procedure within your cycle if this becomes relevant.

Supervision of the sperm until it is inserted can help to ensure that there is no mix-up. While a number of halachic authorities strongly prefer that all procedures be conducted with supervision, others rely on the existing safety precautions of reputable clinics.

As you note, there are a lot of steps involved. We recommend arranging a free consultation with a Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counselor, details here, to help you navigate the halachic issues involved. We hope your procedure is smooth and successful.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

This response was updated on 2 May, 2021.

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.

Accessibility Toolbar