Regret shame keeps countless girls from continuing to exercise. The Women’s World Cup can help break that stigma

Ahead of the first FIFA Women’s World Cup to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere, host countries Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand, forge more novelties, including efforts to break the shame, stigma and taboos that still shroud the times.

In April, both teams launched new kits that feature anti-leak protection, materials and cuts specifically tailored to the needs of high-performing female footballers.

New Zealand has also replaced its traditional white shorts with teal shorts to combat menstrual anxiety.

Similar changes are taking place in the global sports landscape, albeit more slowly in some areas.

Despite initial reluctance, last year the All England Club relaxed the longstanding tradition of Wimbledon players dressing all in white, allowing women to wear dark underpants.

In rugby, the Ireland women’s national team has permanently replaced white shorts with dark blue ones, while New Zealand referees are no longer required to wear white shorts.

The impact of these changes should not be underestimated. The shame and taboo that comes with periods discourages many young girls from continuing to exercise, and misinformation about menstruation impacts the performance and health of countless elite athletes. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is an opportunity to dispel period myths and focus on the specific needs of menstruating athletes.

Female athletes are not small men

Women’s elite sport continues to be professionalized, but their training protocols are often based on research drawn from male cohorts.

This research does not consider the physical and psychological changes that female athletes may experience at each stage of the menstrual cycle, nor how these may affect peak performance.

Research into how the menstrual cycle affects athlete performance is increasing. Teams use methods to work with the period cycle, not against it.

Reigning FIFA women’s world champions USA say menstrual tracking is one of their power weapons.

Read more: New Study: Much of what we’re told about gym exercise and strength training comes from studies by men on men

No more badge of honor

Ignoring and generalizing about the needs of female athletes is not only detrimental to performance, it can also be detrimental to health.

Excessive training can cause some athletes to miss their periods. This was often considered normal by coaches and a badge of honor by the athletes themselves. Indeed, in many high-performance sports cultures, there is a dangerous notion that absent menstruation makes the ideal elite athlete.

However, this can have serious health consequences, including a condition called RED-S – relative lack of energy in exercise. Symptoms include missed or irregular periods, decreased exercise capacity, mood swings, and recurrent illnesses and injuries, including stress fractures.

Australian research of 112 elite and pre-elite female athletes found that nearly 80% of the participants had at least one symptom consistent with RED-S. Almost 40% had at least two symptoms.

Like women in other workplaces, elite athletes are often reluctant to talk about the impact of their periods because they fear they are a drag in a team environment, underperform and do not deserve development opportunities.

Change is happening, albeit slowly

Roadmaps are being developed for some high-performance sports in order to specifically support female athletes. For example, in late 2019, the Australian Institute of Sport launched an initiative to “improve specific knowledge and support systems for women athletes”. And in March, the South Australian government launched its I’m an Athlete programme. Period campaign aimed at promoting positive menstrual health in sport.

Many female athletes themselves have begun to speak out about the taboo associated with menstruation and are campaigning for change.

Earlier this year, Australian Olympic champion swimmer Cate Campbell opened up about her performance difficulties managing her period.

While her exercise and diet regimens were closely monitored, lack of information and access to a network of women’s health professionals resulted in her sustaining an injury that nearly ended her career.

To control her period, she had a birth control rod inserted into her arm, designed to be inserted into the layer of fat overlying the muscle. However, being a top athlete, she has a very low body fat percentage, so the bar was placed next to her muscle. A botched attempt to retrieve the pole left her with permanent nerve damage.

She is now using her profile to raise awareness of women’s health issues and to try to break the taboo around periods.

Hurdles for girls in sports

During puberty and at the beginning of the menstrual period, the participation of girls in mass sports decreases sharply.

A UK survey of more than 4,000 teenagers published last year found that there are complex barriers and ingrained negative attitudes that hamper girls’ enjoyment of sport, including period shame and body image issues.

It found that 78% of the girls in the survey who used to be physically active said they avoided exercising during their periods, and 73% of that cohort said they disliked others watching them exercise.

Of the girls who stopped exercising during their periods, 73% said it was because of pain and 62% said it was because they were afraid of discharge.

Various state governments are investing in grassroots sports facilities that are more responsive to women’s needs. However, many facilities still lack basic amenities such as menstrual containers.

Read more: Celtic FC lead the way in tackling period poverty, now other clubs must follow

An important way for sports clubs to address these issues is to develop a “period positive” culture.

Clubs should take measures such as:

• Providing comfortable and contemporary uniforms

• Free provision of hygiene containers and plenty of historical products

• and open discussions about periods and their potential impact on athletes.

These can help girls and women manage their periods in a way that allows them to continue participating without feeling embarrassed or embarrassed.

With the World Cup media spotlight on us, we have an unprecedented opportunity to break menstrual shame, silence and taboos.