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

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Menstrual cup when trying to conceive

27 December, 2018
Question:

I read an article recently suggesting that menstrual cups could make it easier to conceive. It seems that women insert the cup after relations to encourage more sperm cells to enter the cervix. And apparently sometimes the husband withdraws during relations and deposits semen directly into the cup, which the wife then inserts. What are the halachic issues with this?


Answer:

These methods of enhancing conception are medically unproven.

Inserting a menstrual cup after relations have been completed normally would be halachically permissible, as long as there is no medical contraindication. For safety reasons, the menstrual cup must be removed within 12 hours.

Even a drop of blood found on something inserted internally can make a woman niddah. Therefore, if a woman uses a menstrual cup when she is tehorah, we recommend that she rinse it without looking right after removal.

Because the halacha of hotza’at zera levatalah (spilling of seed) is very strict, using a menstrual cup to capture semen in the midst of relations is prohibited.

In cases where a couple suspect that they need help conceiving, there are many possible paths to pursue. We encourage couples in this situation to consult a Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counselor (details here) and health care provider for guidance before deciding on a course of action.

This response was updated on 3 May, 2021.

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