Thursday 18 Ramadan 1445 - 28 March 2024
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Does a Pap Smear Test Break Your Fast?

Question

Is it permissible to have a pap smear test whilst fasting?  This involves the nurse taking a sample from the cervix at the neck of the womb.

Summary of answer

If a pap smear test involves taking a sample with no feelings of desire, then it does not break your fast.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Karim Al-Khudayr said:

“If having a pap smear test and having a sample taken from the cervix results in the emission of maniy (sexual discharge), then this breaks the woman’s fast because it involves desire. If it simply involves taking a sample with no feelings of desire, then it does not break her fast. But it is better to delay it until the time of iftar at night.”

For more, see these answers: 50406 , 37780 , 38073 , and 38023 .

And Allah knows best.

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Source:  Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr