Menstrual health in higher education is often seen as a taboo subject despite it affecting countless students and staff. Research shows that 64 per cent of students, aged 14-21, have missed at least one day of learning due to their period – this includes symptoms such as pain, heavy bleeding and mental health repercussions.
Additionally, 77 per cent feel as though they are unable to concentrate and 62 per cent feel like they are unable to sit exams. When attending university, students attend classes, sit exams and submit research all while juggling their social life, relationships and health.
Menstrual health can be a daunting and demanding challenge to mask when a student is struggling from the pressures of student life, and it can have a resounding impact on student wellbeing. When these statistics tell a story of inequity, why is the impact of menstrual health on education so overlooked?
Why policy matters
As part of my role as a sabbatical officer, I am lobbying and campaigning for a policy within my university’s guidelines which offers consistent and long-term support to students who are menstruating.
To have a university policy about menstruation sends a clear message that the institution actively supports its students, recognising and validating their experience.
It should include a clear statement where the university recognises the effect menstruation has on a student’s mental and physical health, the impact it has on attention and retention and how period poverty is a risk to access and equality of opportunity. It should then set out the ways the university will mitigate this.
Some of these mitigations might include providing access to a range of free period products, the ability to evidence menstrual health in late submission forms, and a pledge to effectively educate staff on issues such as PCOS and endometriosis (to name a few).
Universities are often at the centre of progressive change with values that reflect that. A policy that recognises the impact of menstrual health and that sets out steps to mitigate its impact on students’ education makes education more equitable. No one should miss out on opportunities due to something which is out of their control.
I’m no expert on menstrual health but I am experienced to the limitations I felt while studying because of a lack of support with my menstrual health.
What more can universities do
Here are my top 3 things which I believe universities should be doing more.
1. Allyship!
Becoming an ally to those who struggle with their menstrual health is the easiest thing a university could and should be doing.
Listening and providing support to those in need should be a basic standard at any place of study or work and creates menopause-friendly work and study spaces.
The stigma associated with menstrual health has seeped its way into the education system. Recently the BBC reported on a story where a school in Cambridgeshire was asking students to “prove” their period pain was legitimate in order to have their absences approved. For incoming students, messaging like this will be ingrained and higher education institutions can take steps, through allyship and policy, to de-stigmatise.
Facilitating conversations around menstrual health for students is an effective way to be an ally. I have always found people openly speaking about their own experiences to be effective in showing that you’re not alone.
2. Education
With health issues such as endometriosis and PCOS being severely under researched and overlooked it’s important to engage in conversation which encourages people to seek help should they need it.
In my own experience, had I not been speaking to my sister about my struggles with my own menstruation, I never would have gone to the doctors to ask them to help me get diagnosed with endometriosis. It was a long and tiring process, and there were times where it was probably easier to give up and the urge to do so often overtook my want to get diagnosed. Had it not been for that passing conversation I never would have thought about it or had the courage to go and get my body checked out.
The more awareness raising universities do in regards to menstrual health, the more conversations it creates, the more it becomes destigmatised and students get the support they need.
It is equally important that staff are educated to understand the impact that menstrual health has on a student’s academic performance. Persistent fatigue, pain and brain fog were all factors which contributed to my own poor performance while I was studying. There were times where I was in too much pain to attend lectures, my brain fog caused me to submit drafts rather than finalised assignments and my fatigue meant I wasn’t concentrating in lectures. Having a member of staff who understands this makes a great deal of difference.
3. University support
A policy that recognises, validates and supports students that are menstruating reduces risks to equality of opportunity but the practice of that policy is as important. Through allyship, education and awareness raising, conversations begin and menstrual health is de-stigmatised. More practically, in a context of a cost of living crisis, providing free period products can help reduce period poverty on campus. Ensuring these products are accessible, that there are as few barriers as possible and that they are good quality are key steps SUs and universities can take. Including menstrual health as part of late submission and extenuating circumstance policies is another practical step to support students.
Universities can encourage students to seek out a diagnosis. If university teams are encouraging students to seek out help and offering support and guidance on how to do so, it sends a clear message that the institute genuinely cares. Key figures such as personal tutors and heads of departments need to be educated as to how these conditions are affecting their students and the best education often comes from the students themselves.
Change only happens when conversations start and there’s more for universities as sites of progressive change to ensure students who menstruate have equal opportunities to succeed.
