FRF asks FHSAA to stop collecting student athletes’ menstrual history
The Floridians for Reproductive Freedom coalition sent letters to all members of the Florida High School Athletics Association Board of Directors to stop requiring student athletes to provide menstrual history and other menstrual information on its required health physical forms.
Our letter read:
November 1, 2022
Dear Members of the Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors:
We, the Floridians for Reproductive Freedom coalition and undersigned organizations, strongly oppose the inclusion of any questions on student health forms, including for student athletes, about menstrual cycles or history or about genitalia.
During these post-Roe v. Wade times when breaches of personal medical records could carry grave consequences, our young people must be protected. Private information related to any individual student’s reproductive system must be kept completely private, confidential, and secure. Records should be kept with students’ own doctors, not within the school system. Students must be confident that their participation in school activities, including providing information requested by their school systems, will not subject them to potential harm and misuse of their information.
Medical privacy – particularly when it comes to reproductive health – is entering a new, frightening era since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. This has empowered anti-abortion politicians to criminalize pregnancy outcomes and prosecute patients, including those who are underage. School records could become easy prey for an aggressive local prosecutor collecting evidence to use against someone who has ended a pregnancy.
We urge the FHSAA to revise the entire health form and simply require a healthcare provider to confirm whether students are healthy enough to play.
Sincerely,
Chwa yon fanm nan Jacksonville
ACLU of Florida
Allendale United Methodist Church
Ate Ameriken yo
Bans Off Miami
Central Floridians For Social Equality
Coalition Against Period Poverty
Asistans Medikal Ijans
Egalite Florid
Equity Experience
Rezo Aksè Florid
Florida For All
Kowalisyon Entèrelijye Florid pou Sante Repwodiktif ak Jistis
Sèvis Legal Florid, Inc.
Florid k ap monte
Floridyen pou Libète Repwodiktif
Folding Chair Consulting
Gainesville Woman Care/Bread and Roses
Indivisible FL13
Indivisible Miami
Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice Florida
League of Women Voters of Florida
League of Women Voters of Broward County
League of Women Voters of Polk County
League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area
Men4Choice Advocacy
Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity
Federasyon Nasyonal Avòtman
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum – Florida
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Miami Section
National Council of Jewish Women, Sarasota Manatee Section
Enstiti Nasyonal pou Sante Repwodiktif
National Organization for Women – Florida NOW
National Organization for Women – Florida NOW Education Fund
National Organization of Women, Greater Marion County NOW
National Organization of Women, Greater Orlando NOW
National Organization of Women, Jacksonville NOW
National Organization of Women, Lee County NOW
National Organization of Women, Miami NOW
National Organization of Women, Pinellas NOW
National Organization of Women, Tampa NOW
National Organization of Women, West Pinellas NOW
National Women’s Law Center
National Women’s Liberation
NEO Philanthropy
Not in Naples
Palm Beach County NOW
Doktè pou Sante Repwodiktif
Power U Center for Social Change
Presidential Women’s Center
Prochoice Advocacy League (PAL)
Kowalisyon Pro-Choice nan Konte Broward la
Pwogrè Florid
Progress Florida Education Institute
Reproductive Health Access Project
Reproductive Health Access Project – Florida Chapter
Ruth’s List Florida
Social Unity Network, Inc.
Echanj Inovasyon Eta a
Fon Avòtman Tampa Bay
The Umbrella Brigade
Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg
United Activision Media LLC
Mouvman Defans Fanm nan Pinellas
Women’s Foundation of Florida
Zioness South Florida