Key issues • Florida

Florida female student athletes are asked about their menstrual history.

Before they’re allowed to take the field, female student athletes in Florida are asked about their menstrual history—and as that data increasingly moves to digital platforms, parents and doctors are expressing some grave concerns about the practice. Asking questions such as when the student got their first period and when they had their last one isn’t anything new in Florida. It’s been an ongoing question for two decades, and it is optional.

Historically, that has been done on paper forms. This fall, however, some districts—including Palm Beach, Broward, Hillsborough and Sarasota counties—will switch to a digital platform that’s held by a third party. And in the post–Roe v. Wade world, that has many people concerned.

Featured articles