QUESTION

What would you say about a couple who have to do artificial insemination (such as IUI) while the woman is in niddah? Would poletet shivchat zera apply such that they would have to delay mikvah by four days?

ANSWER

Thank you for your question; it’s a really good one. My immediate intuition was that poletet should not apply here, for a few reasons.

By way of introduction, the concept of poletet shichvat zera is the basis for the common practice of waiting a minimum of four or five days before beginning the shivah