It is essential that young players are treated with dignity and respect, especially when it comes to matters of reproductive health and menstruation. This is essential to ensuring that young people who are menstruating feel supported so they can continue to participate in sport, both competitively and socially.
Stigma surrounding periods is reinforced by ignorance, silence and embarrassment, as well as by a lack of practical support and education for players, staff, and
coaches. Young players said open and ongoing period education would better support them to stay informed about their periods, the associated symptoms they can expect, and their choices surrounding management of their period in ways that will enable them to continue to participate and not feel ashamed or embarrassed about having their period.
To be able to provide the best support for their players, coaches need to be educated and better informed about periods and their impact, and barriers to participation in sport.