WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — New menstrual health education standards will take effect for all D.C. public schools and public charter schools students for the 2023-24 school year.
The District is the first jurisdiction in the country with menstrual health education standards, according to a news release.
The curriculum will be broken down by grade levels:
- Elementary school grades will focus on the understanding of the menstrual cycle, physical and emotional changes, menstrual products and more.
- Middle school grades will learn about the menstrual cycle, stigmas surrounding it and more.
- High school grades will focus on cycle irregularities, management of period health, inequities surrounding period products and more.
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education worked with various governmental and non-governmental partners to create the new standards and to align with the Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2022.
These standards will produce a clear and age-appropriate approach to this “essential health topic,” D.C. State Superintendent of Education Christina Grant stated in the release.
“The new Menstrual Health Education Standards also aims to empower our students to become active participants in their own health while maintaining dignity and respect for fellow students as they grow and develop,” Grant said.
