Florida Requires Students Records Of Menstrual Cycles To Play Sports
January 30, 2023Florida school districts are receiving backlash for requiring students to provide records of their menstrual cycle to play sports.
School districts have asked for menstrual records for over two decades. Until 2022, they had used handwritten forms. The state’s recent switch to digital forms raised red flags about student privacy. Critics of the policy say the change puts trans and reproductive rights at risk.
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In addition to asking about relevant medical information like a history of allergies and seizures, the form has a section labeled “female athletes only.” According to Women's Media Center, this asks students when their last period was, how many periods they had in the past year, and the longest time they’ve had between periods. In its digital forms, this information will be collected through Aktivate, a privately owned software company. Student data can also be accessed by law enforcement via a subpoena. Nevertheless, the app claims its data is secure.
Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws heighten the stakes. In June, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that would ban trans athletes from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity. Trans women, who may not have periods, could essentially risk outing themselves with these forms, leading to serious consequences for their mental health.
The Cleveland Clinic recommends that to help with gender dysphoria, trans kids surround themselves with people who affirm their gender identity. Being forced to play for the team that corresponds to their sex at birth would be incredibly harmful for trans kids. This point has been echoed by the more than 100 officials who asked DeSantis not to sign the law as well as LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Gina Duncan, director of transgender equality for Equality Florida, explained the law “makes life more dangerous for those who are already at the highest risk of violence.”
Florida’s anti-choice legislation also increases the importance of keeping this data private. Over the summer, the Florida state government instated a 15-week abortion ban – without exceptions for rape or incest. The law targets abortion providers, stating they could face up to five years in prison for performing an abortion. Other states, including Nebraska, have used Facebook data to charge a mother and her 17-year-old daughter with seeking out an illegal abortion. Texas, Oklahoma, and Idaho have abortion bans enforced by citizens. Individuals are allowed to access others’ personal data to help argue their case. In these instances, period data could be essential to a successful suit against a provider or putting a provider in jail.
As president of the Palm Beach County Democratic Women’s Club, Joan Waitkevicz, told The Palm Beach Post requiring students to provide records of their menstrual cycle to play sports is “anti-choice and anti-trans politics rolled into one.” Collecting information on student athlete menstruation may seem innocuous or even standard practice in the best interest of their health, but, in the hands of a state government that has made overt attempts to oppress both cis women and trans folks, this data could cost already marginalized people their lives and mental health.
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