Some athletes may feel comfortable to talk openly about their menstrual cycles and some may feel like it’s the worst thing in the world! This could be influenced by their culture, age, family, and social surroundings.
Barriers to conversation
Below are some examples of barriers that coaches and female athletes have shared with us:
- Coaches feel that it's inappropriate or an invasion of privacy.
- Cultural taboos resulting in shame and embarrassment.
- Confusing messages in the media.
- Not having resources or education to know what to say and when.
- Female coaches' personal experience of the menstrual cycle not affecting training or performance and therefore not feeling it’s important.
- Perception that discussion of menstrual cycles and hormonal contraceptives are outside of the coaching role.
- Lack of structure in place for education or support.
- Lack of time in a season for proper education.
Alongside barriers to conversation there are also some factors that affect comfort and confidence of communicating about the menstrual cycle. From speaking to female athletes, we have understood that the following factors influence conversations between coaches and athletes:
Influencing factors
Previous positive conversations
When a female athlete has experienced having a positive conversation about their menstrual cycle with their coach, it has reinforced a positive experience and supported ongoing conversations.
When coaches have replied to conversations with ‘that’s enough information, I don’t need to know this detail’ or ‘maybe you should speak to someone else,’ it has prevented female athletes from having open conversations. Remember that you can find out further information from experts, but an athlete has chosen to speak to you about it suggesting they feel safe in the environment you have created.
Confidence
Everyone is different and individual; some athletes may feel more confident talking to their coaches based on previous experiences.
Familiarity of the person
Female athletes are likely to speak to those they are familiar with. Therefore, before suggesting they discuss female health with a “specialist” who they haven’t met before, consider the role you could play in supporting them.
Increased age and experiences
If female athletes have experienced previous conversations such as talking to doctors about contraception or smear tests, there is an increased openness to talk about female specific experiences.
Remember, everyone is individual and not one size fits all – support the athlete by asking them how they might like to discuss their female health with you. Would they like this to be within a one to one or in a more informal setting? Would they prefer to discuss it with a particular team member or with another coach present?
Terminology
We’ve all grown up using euphemisms for lots of different things, whether that be certain parts of the body or biological functions that we are embarrassed to talk about. There are lots of period euphemisms or ‘code words’ but using these can reinforce the perception of awkwardness, embarrassment and the negative stigma that is historically related to menstruation.
Avoid using euphemisms and instead be confident in the correct terminology to use: ‘the menstrual cycle’, ‘menstruation’ and ‘periods’.
If you are unsure about the correct terminology you may want to find out if your governing body is offering any training or e-learning on the menstrual cycle.
Approach to conversations
Take a supportive approach when speaking about the menstrual cycle.
A supportive, balanced approach is common in coaches who:
- are aware of signs, symptoms and consequences of the menstrual cycle
- are aware of different sources of support available.
- initiate conversation, signposting and involving support networks to facilitate access to support.
For example:
'I have noticed you have been struggling with motivation and tiredness recently; I think it would be useful for us to evaluate your menstrual cycle, how this links to your symptoms to see if we can improve recovery between training sessions'
When you are communicating to female participants about their menstrual cycle, aim to be supportive through increased knowledge and understanding about the menstrual cycle, along with creating a period positive environment to allow open conversations relating to periods.
For more information and support, we have developed a ‘menstrual cycle openness and conversation’ module which includes further top tips for starting and continuing conversation and support.
