Florida schools have decided to discontinue the practice of requiring student-athletes to disclose their menstrual histories in order to participate in high school sports, following widespread opposition.
At an emergency meeting on Thursday, the Florida High School Athletic Association’s board of directors voted 14-2 to adopt a proposal removing questions about menstrual history from the state’s pre-participation physical evaluation form.
These questions were previously optional but had sparked controversy after a recommendation to make them mandatory by the association’s sports medicine committee.
Critics, including parents, physicians, and advocates, raised concerns about privacy violations and potential misuse of the information.
They argued that digital submission of the form via Aktivate, a sports management software, could compromise privacy under federal law if data were subpoenaed by legal authorities.
The revised form will now focus on gathering medical, surgical, and emotional histories, to be maintained by healthcare providers, parents, or guardians rather than the school.
A separate medical eligibility form, without questions about menstruation, will be completed by the student-athlete or their representative and submitted to the school.
This policy change aligns with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which emphasizes the need for medical information relevant to a student’s health and safety without unnecessary intrusions into privacy.
While acknowledging the medical relevance of menstrual history, Florida’s new approach aims to protect student-athletes’ privacy while ensuring healthcare providers at member schools have access to essential medical information.
Before the vote, public sentiment against the menstrual questions was evident, with numerous emails and a letter from state representatives urging the board to reconsider. Critics argued that such inquiries were invasive and unnecessary for school sports participation.
Board members, including John Gerdes, emphasized that the decision was not intended to hinder girls’ participation in sports, highlighting the substantial number of female student-athletes in Florida high schools.
They also noted the absence of statistics on transgender and nonbinary student-athletes in the state’s high school sports programs.
Physicians reiterated the importance of menstrual history for medical purposes but agreed that its inclusion in school forms was not essential, echoing concerns about privacy and the potential for misuse of sensitive personal information.
Overall, the shift in policy reflects a broader effort to balance medical necessity with privacy protections in school athletics across Florida.
