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

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Hymen tag

28 November, 2018

Question:

I recently went to a gynecologist, and she mentioned that I have a hymen tag (hymen tissue that still remains, and won't go away with further intercourse). She said that I could get it removed, or leave it for now and it will be dealt with once I have children, iyh. At the time I said no to removal, as the thought of a procedure made me uncomfortable. However, she mentioned that a side effect of leaving it there is that it could cause bleeding from time to time after intercourse. Would that bleeding be of concern from a niddah perspective? If so, to avoid becoming needlessly niddah, should I go ahead with the procedure now?


Answer:

Except in the very specific circumstances of dam betulim, bleeding from hymeneal tissue does not make a woman niddah.  But it can still raise questions and complicate getting through the clean days.

Ultimately, this is your decision to make.  You may find that taking care of it now, generally a straightforward procedure, will save you trouble later. Alternatively, you can wait and see if it in fact causes trouble.

Regardless of your decision, you may find it helpful to review the laws of stains.

Please write back with any further questions.


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