Pupils: Sexual and Reproductive Health
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to local education authorities to support school pupils with (a) endometriosis and (b) other (i) menstrual and (ii) reproductive health concerns.
Answered by Georgia Gould
Pupils learn the facts about menstrual and reproductive health as part of compulsory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). This includes fertility, the potential impact of lifestyle on fertility for men and women, and the menopause. In July 2025 the department updated the RSHE statutory guidance to provide specific examples of period problems, including pre-menstrual syndrome; heavy menstrual bleeding; endometriosis; and polycystic ovary syndrome, to ensure pupils understand when to seek help from healthcare professionals. The new curriculum comes into force from September 2026. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
The Period Product Scheme, which launched in 2020, provides free period products to girls and women in schools and colleges in England from years 5 to 13. The scheme aims to remove periods as a barrier to accessing education and to support menstrual health.
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