ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Student-athletes in Florida are asked questions about their periods as part of a physical evaluation form, though they’re not required to answer.
But that could soon change.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Board of Directors will discuss whether the questions should remain optional to answer or be made mandatory at its next meeting scheduled in February.
Ryan Harrison, a spokesperson for the FHSAA confirmed to 10 Tampa Bay in an email the Preparticipation Physical Evaluation Form will be on the agenda as an action item at the Feb. 26-27 meeting in Gainesville.
Consideration will also likely include discussion if the forms “should be retained by the healthcare provider and/or parents with only a medical eligibility clearance form being submitted to the school,” Harrison said.
In a draft posted on the FHSAA website of what appears to be an updated version of the physical evaluation form, questions about menstrual cycles are no longer listed as optional.
After the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, some people have raised concerns about providing reproductive health data.
All public school districts in the state are required to use the athletic forms provided by FHSAA. Questions about menstrual cycles have been on the form for at least two decades.
The physical evaluation form currently in use 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?
Right now, 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.
VERIFY’s Megan Loe contributed to this report.
