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

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Routine gynecological examination

12 May, 2013
Question:

I have a gynecology appointment tomorrow in Jerusalem and was wondering if it will make me a niddah. It is just a regular checkup and I don’t know what types of instruments they will be using. What should I do?


Answer:

A regular gynecological exam does not usually make a woman niddah.

A routine “check up” generally includes a manual exam, a speculum exam and a Pap smear.  In each of these examinations, the instruments enter only the vagina, not the cervix or uterus, and thus do not affect your niddah status in any way. Please refer to the section of our website on Gynecological Procedures for more detailed information on these exams, and on when a procedure might make a woman niddah.

Ask the physician if he or she notices any blood from the uterus when looking at your cervix.  If he or she sees uterine bleeding, ask if it might have been the result of a scratch or irritation from an instrument and get back to us. If there was no bleeding from the uterus or cervix, then bleeding starting shortly after the examination is assumed to be vaginal and you are not considered niddah. It is best to also take precautions against becoming niddah from staining: wear colored underwear, and avoid looking at toilet paper.

If any examinations other than those mentioned were performed, please get back to us with the names of the procedures and what instruments were used (including the diameter of the instruments).

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