Will student medical forms to play sports and be in band be used against them?
It’s springtime in Oklahoma, which means students wanting to participate in athletics or marching band next school year must complete and submit a physical evaluation form. It includes questions regarding heart health, bone and joint health, family health, general medical questions, and a section for female students only, which asks multiple questions about menstruation, including the age of the first menstrual period, how many menstrual periods have occurred during the past 12 months and the date of the most recent menstrual period.
The form explains that the questions are “designed to identify risk factors prior to participation by way of a thorough medical history and physical exam.” There was a time, not long ago, that the stated purpose behind these questions was readily believed and understood. Indeed, the answers to these questions are vital in helping medical professionals, coaches and other trusted adults watch for and identify conditions that can have long-term impacts on a student’s health and well-being. The information provided helps to provide preventative care and can even save lives.
But these days, parents and guardians are suspicious. It’s springtime in Oklahoma, which is the season when elected officials in this state seem to work their hardest at creating a climate of fear by attempting to control bodies, legislate gender and criminalize reproductive health care. Their obsession with genitalia and gender conformance means that parents are having a hard time trusting that information they provide will be used only for its stated purpose or in the best interest of their child.
More: Two Oklahoma elected officials challenge federal government over proposed gender rules
Instead of confidently filling out a basic health form that is meant to be a helpful tool in ensuring the wellbeing of students, parents are worried about the nefarious ways information could be used against their children and families. While details about a girl’s period can aid in identifying multiple concerns (like amenorrhea and disordered eating) before they spiral out of control, it is no longer safe to share those particulars. Given the rhetoric and legislation around reproductive health care, if details about missed menstrual periods are put in the wrong hands, it could be used to detain, punish or put students through inappropriate and unnecessary examinations and questions. Indeed, there is a risk of students (along with the rest of us) having to prove gender in public places because of legislation like Sen. Jessica Garvin’s so-called “Women’s Bill of Rights.”
We want our kids to play sports and march with the band, but the current climate has us scared to fill out the paperwork. We can’t be sure how the bathroom-and-bodily-function police will weaponize it, and this puts our children’s health and well-being on the line.
It’s springtime in Oklahoma, which means there are still a few weeks left in the legislative session for our elected officials to shift their focus from regulating a person’s private parts to investing in our children’s educational experience. God, hear our prayer. May our legislators hear it, too.
The Rev. Lori Allen Walke is senior minister at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Could OSSAA's health form be used as a weapon by politicians?
