What is the biblical attitude towards personal hygiene during vaginal bleeding?

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Abstract

To analyze biblical passages associated with personal hygiene during vaginal bleeding. According to the Bible, a woman who is menstruating or who has pathological vaginal bleeding is unclean. Anybody who touches such a woman's bed or her personal things is also regarded as unclean and should therefore, wash carefully. Sexual relations are forbidden within 7 days from the beginning of menstruation and during pathological vaginal bleeding. Seven days after the cessation of vaginal bleeding, a woman is considered as clean, and therefore, sexual contacts are permitted. From a modern perspective sexual contacts during menses are associated with the development of chlamydial and gonococcal diseases, the risk of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus infection, endometriosis and subsequent infertility. This report indicates that the roots of contemporary obstetric preventive medicine can be traced to Biblical times.

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Condition tags

endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Bible Hygiene Menstruation Sexual Behavior Female History, Ancient Humans Hygiene Sexual Behavior Uterine Hemorrhage Uterine Hemorrhage

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europepmc
last seen: 2026-07-12T06:14:43.533933+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:13:01.552487+00:00
unpaywall
last seen: 2026-05-14T19:30:52.867331+00:00
License: public-domain-us · commercial use OK · attribution required
Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine