Is the fasting of a person who gets a gynecological examination or has an endoscopy invalidated?
Is it permissible to get a gynecological examination while fasting? What should a person who has to be examined frequently do? What will happen to her fasting? The doctor is a foreigner. Is fasting invalidated whether the doctor is a Muslim or not? What should be done in that case?
Submitted by on Wed, 07/04/2021 - 15:41
Dear Brother / Sister,
An ill woman can need an examination, treatment, operation, etc. However, when a woman is ill, she needs to go to a female doctor to be examined. If there is no female doctor, she can see a male doctor. Otherwise, it is a sin to be examined by a male doctor. Similarly, if a man is ill, she needs to see a male doctor; if there is no male doctor, he can see a female doctor. (Bada'ius-Sanai, VI/2962)
Doctors can decide who is a specialist and who is not. If the treatment is vitally important, the doctor who is more qualified can be preferred whether it is male or female. (Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar, II/171)
If there is nothing else to do, it is not haram for a woman to be examined by a male doctor whether he is a Muslim or not.
As for the issue of the invalidation of fasting,
Pushing a finger or something else into the vagina or anus does not invalidate fasting. It does not matter whether it is the finger of a man or a woman.
However, if a person has an orgasm during medical examination, fasting is invalidated and ghusl becomes necessary.
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- Does a woman who starts to menstruate when she is fasting need to wait until the sunset by breaking her fast by drinking water only; or, can she eat?
