Florida School Sports Health Form Inquires About Women’s Periods
Concerns have risen about an alleged rule impacting female high school student-athletes in Florida.
News outlets and some people on social media have claimed that female student-athletes in the Sunshine State have to report their menstrual history in order to play sports.
A recent report from VerifyThis.com investigated the claim and reported on its findings. Below is an excerpt from the VerifyThis.com report.
“They must disclose when they got their first period, the date of their last one, etc.,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Are female high school athletes in Florida required to report their menstrual history to play sports?
No, female athletes at Florida public high schools aren’t required to report their menstrual history to play sports.
Student-athletes in Florida are asked questions about their periods as part of a physical evaluation form, but the students can decline to answer.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) manages sports and organizes competitions for public high schools throughout Florida. The association requires athletes to fill out a physical evaluation form to play sports.
All public school districts in the state are required to use the athletic forms provided by FHSAA, Claudia Shea, executive director of communications and engagement for the Palm Beach County School District in Florida, told VERIFY.
The physical evaluation form has five questions for female student-athletes about their menstrual cycles:
- When was your first menstrual period?
- When was your most recent menstrual period?
- How much time do you usually have from the start of one period to the start of another?
- How many periods have you had in the last year?
- What was the longest time between periods in the last year?
Responses to these questions are listed as “optional” on the FHSAA form, which also asks other health questions about conditions such as asthma and seasonal allergies that require medical treatment.
To read the full story from VerifyThis.com, click here.
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