Menstrual champions in schools
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (17:50): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education, and the action I am seeking today is for the minister to establish a menstrual champions pilot program in schools. It is really quite a straightforward idea. Nominated teachers are appointed menstrual champions for students to visit when they are having menstrual issues. The concept has been put to me by the Endo Help Foundation, that say that appointing several female teachers as menstrual coordinators or champions for students to seek out whenever they have a concern about their periods or pelvic pain would significantly reduce stigma and alleviate student anxieties.
This is not a new concept. I note there is some chuckling going on in the chamber, and this is part of the problem around talking around periods. There is still a lot of stigma. There is still a lot of discomfort about the issue, and I am pleased to say that I was just reading this afternoon that Her Excellency Dr Jeannette Young, the Governor of Queensland, has become a menstrual champion as well.
Now, this pilot could build on the free tampon program that is already in schools that is there to help reduce period poverty. This goes to reducing the stigma attached to periods and the fear. However, many schools are reporting a very low uptake on the free tampon program, and some teachers really suspect that this is due to stigma around menstrual issues and may be contributing to this low uptake, completely in co-ed schools. But now while this program is great, it is clear that students could benefit from more support with menstrual help. And this could also lead—and I think this is the most important part, that was really put to me certainly by a real champion, Kat Stanley, who has been a tireless campaigner around endometriosis—to earlier identification of medical conditions for endo. And we know that for some women it can take up to 20 years before they are diagnosed with endometriosis, so this is hopefully an early intervention.
So the action I am seeking from the Minister for Education is to trial a pilot scheme in co-ed schools in Northern Metropolitan to appoint teachers as menstrual champions so that all students know who they can turn to when they have an issue with their menstrual cycle.
Fiona Patten MP
Leader of Reason
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region
Adjournment matter 22/2/22
Answer
Thank you for your question of 22 February 2022 regarding sexual and reproductive health.
The Victorian Government agrees that students should be relieved of the stigma, anxiety and discomfort associated with menstruation, so they can focus on their studies. That is why Victoria is the first state or territory in Australia to ensure every government school student has access to free sanitary products at school.
The $20.7 million initiative commenced in Term 3, 2019 and successfully installed dispensing machines in every government school by the end of Term 2, 2020. As part of this initiative, schools are supported to provide age-appropriate education about menstrual health. The Department of Education and Training (the department) also supports schools to ‘champion’ menstrual health by providing resources and guidance on how to promote positive menstrual health in schools. I have asked the department to consult with experts and key stakeholders on opportunities to include information on pelvic pain, including endometriosis, in an upcoming update to the department’s menstrual health resources.
The department funds a number of initiatives where secondary school students at participating schools can seek medical advice, treatment and referral for menstrual health concerns. For example, the Doctors in Secondary Schools program provides access to general practitioners for students at 100 secondary schools in disadvantaged areas. In addition, the Secondary School Nursing Program focuses on health promotion and primary prevention to improve student health, wellbeing and learning outcomes in 198 targeted schools.
Young people in Victoria can seek advice and treatment for menstrual health concerns from Nurses through the Victorian Government’s Supercare Pharmacies Initiative (Supercare Pharmacies). Twenty Supercare Pharmacies across the State deliver a nursing service offering free and timely access to health and wellness advice, support and treatment.
In March 2021 I announced that it would become mandatory for all Victorian Government schools to teach consent education in an age-appropriate way. To support schools to implement this mandate, the department has developed a Sexuality and Consent Education policy and published guidance on how to address consent in an age-appropriate way through teaching materials developed with leading experts in the sexuality and relationships education field. These resources will be updated this year following consultation with experts and key stakeholders to ensure that menstrual health education is included.
Together, these programs, investments, and resources support schools to educate young people on sexual and reproductive health.
The Hon James Merlino MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for Education
Minister for Mental Health