I write in support of H.B. 1221. As a law professor and advocate,[1] the elimination of menstruation-related barriers to education and the impact of a lack of menstrual literacy on other societal structures are primary foci of my work. [2] Based on my scholarly and applied research and analysis, I can attest that this bill would help normalize menstruation, reduce the harassment and internalized shame of people who experience it, and advance public health and safety.
As my co-authors and I previously noted, “All students must have information, support, and a positive school environment that will allow them both to manage their own menstruation or related condition (if relevant), and to understand the menstruation-related needs of others.” [3] Without comprehensive and inclusive menstrual education for all,[4] some students will inevitability not understand what is happening to their bodies (especially during menarche), know when to seek guidance from trusted and informed adults, or understand how the cycle (and its cessation) may impact people differently, for example, based on one's gender, identity, race, disability, and/or class. Nor will they understand how it may change over one's life course from menstrual hormone fluctuations to perimenopause and menopause. Absent instruction, some students also may not learn that periods can be a positive experience, that menstrual concealment is a choice, that media messages and consumer targeting influence feelings and product preferences, or that menstruation and related conditions are not dirty or unsanitary. And others may continue contributing to the stigma by joking and harassing people who experience it, without necessarily understanding the consequences of doing so. For these and other reasons, this bill is necessary to support the health, dignity, and bodily autonomy of our students. It also benefits our workplaces and broader community. I hope you support it.
1] For informational purposes, I am the Jack and Lovell Olender Professor of Law at UDC Law. I direct the Legislation/Civil Rights Clinic and teach Gender and Disability Law. In 2023, I was the Fulbright-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, where I analyzed “Menstrual Justice at Work and School: Public Policy Lessons from Scotland’s Period Products Law and the UK’s Equality Act.” I have worked on new menstrual literacy standards in DC and on other DC, VA, and global policies to advance menstrual justice. This comment is submitted in my personal capacity.
2] See, e.g., Margaret Johnson & Marcy Karin, Now More Than Ever, It’s Time for Universal Menstrual Education for Gender Equality, MS. (June 10, 2022), https://msmagazine.com/2022/06/10/universal-menstrual-education-period-productsinformation; Marcy Karin, Addressing Periods at Work, 16 Harv. L. & Pol'y Rev. 459 (2022), bit.ly/periodsatwork.
3] Marcy Karin, Naomi Cahn, Elizabeth Cooper, Bridget Crawford, Margaret Johnson & Emily Gold Waldman, Title IX and “Menstruation or Related Conditions,” 30 Mich. J. of Gen. & L. 25, 59 (2023), bit.ly/TIX-Menstruation-LawProfComment
4] See Chella Quint, A Period Positive National Curriculum for England, https://periodpositive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/a-period-positive-national-curriculum-chella-quint-20-july-2022.pdf; MHM in Schools Advocacy, https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/gate/articles##US.
5] BRAWS, PERIODS, POVERTY, AND THE NEED FOR POLICY 7 (2018), bit.ly/BRAWS-BriefingReport.
I write in support of H.B. 1221. As a law professor and advocate,[1] the elimination of menstruation-related barriers to education and the impact of a lack of menstrual literacy on other societal structures are primary foci of my work. [2] Based on my scholarly and applied research and analysis, I can attest that this bill would help normalize menstruation, reduce the harassment and internalized shame of people who experience it, and advance public health and safety. As my co-authors and I previously noted, “All students must have information, support, and a positive school environment that will allow them both to manage their own menstruation or related condition (if relevant), and to understand the menstruation-related needs of others.” [3] Without comprehensive and inclusive menstrual education for all,[4] some students will inevitability not understand what is happening to their bodies (especially during menarche), know when to seek guidance from trusted and informed adults, or understand how the cycle (and its cessation) may impact people differently, for example, based on one's gender, identity, race, disability, and/or class. Nor will they understand how it may change over one's life course from menstrual hormone fluctuations to perimenopause and menopause. Absent instruction, some students also may not learn that periods can be a positive experience, that menstrual concealment is a choice, that media messages and consumer targeting influence feelings and product preferences, or that menstruation and related conditions are not dirty or unsanitary. And others may continue contributing to the stigma by joking and harassing people who experience it, without necessarily understanding the consequences of doing so. For these and other reasons, this bill is necessary to support the health, dignity, and bodily autonomy of our students. It also benefits our workplaces and broader community. I hope you support it. 1] For informational purposes, I am the Jack and Lovell Olender Professor of Law at UDC Law. I direct the Legislation/Civil Rights Clinic and teach Gender and Disability Law. In 2023, I was the Fulbright-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, where I analyzed “Menstrual Justice at Work and School: Public Policy Lessons from Scotland’s Period Products Law and the UK’s Equality Act.” I have worked on new menstrual literacy standards in DC and on other DC, VA, and global policies to advance menstrual justice. This comment is submitted in my personal capacity. 2] See, e.g., Margaret Johnson & Marcy Karin, Now More Than Ever, It’s Time for Universal Menstrual Education for Gender Equality, MS. (June 10, 2022), https://msmagazine.com/2022/06/10/universal-menstrual-education-period-productsinformation; Marcy Karin, Addressing Periods at Work, 16 Harv. L. & Pol'y Rev. 459 (2022), bit.ly/periodsatwork. 3] Marcy Karin, Naomi Cahn, Elizabeth Cooper, Bridget Crawford, Margaret Johnson & Emily Gold Waldman, Title IX and “Menstruation or Related Conditions,” 30 Mich. J. of Gen. & L. 25, 59 (2023), bit.ly/TIX-Menstruation-LawProfComment 4] See Chella Quint, A Period Positive National Curriculum for England, https://periodpositive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/a-period-positive-national-curriculum-chella-quint-20-july-2022.pdf; MHM in Schools Advocacy, https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/gate/articles##US. 5] BRAWS, PERIODS, POVERTY, AND THE NEED FOR POLICY 7 (2018), bit.ly/BRAWS-BriefingReport.