With the success of the Lionesses and the England netball team in recent weeks, conversations around women’s health in sport are becoming much commonplace. From Dina Asher-Smith at the European Athletics Championships to Alicia Barnett at Wimbledon, athletes have been openly talking about their experiences of menstruating while playing sports.

Earlier this year, the Lionesses’ Beth Mead spoke about playing football while on her period and was a key player in getting the colour of the England kit changed to accommodate menstruation. The England team’s shorts have now been switched from white to blue in an effort to remove unnecessary barriers to women playing sport.

Back in July 2022, Wimbledon doubles quarter-finalist Alicia Barnett also shared her experiences of competing whilst menstruating. “Obviously, you’re trying to play world-class tennis but it’s really hard when you’re PMS-ing and you feel bloated and tired,” she said. Wimbledon’s all-white dress code just made things harder. However, in November 2022, Wimbledon announced it would change its dress code to allow female players to wear coloured or darker undershorts.

But there’s still a lot more work to be done around periods and sport. Research by Women in Sport found that seven in 10 young girls avoid being active when on their period, with 39% saying their period prevents them from taking part in physical activity at school.

In response to these findings, Bodyform is now partnering with This Girl Can’s Studio You, an online platform designed to help teenage girls overcome the barriers that stop them from being active. The campaign aims to empower girls to stay active and confident while on their periods through free-to-use period education resources on a new Bodyform hub on the Studio You website.

The campaign was launched through a television advert first broadcast during the Women’s World Cup, with the tagline: “No blood should hold us back.” The free resources will become available for teachers to access and use when schools return in September.

Alexandra Fisher, brand manager at Bodyform, said of the campaign: “We’re looking forward to celebrating women in sport through Studio You’s digital school platform with a series of videos and an educational booklet designed to encourage more girls to take part in sport.”

This Girl Can is powered by Sport England. Head of campaign activation Claire Edwards said this campaign is part of Sport England’s “mission is to get more girls moving by removing as many barriers to exercise as we can”. She highlighted that education, encouragement and strategies are key to girls staying active while on their periods.

“Studio You’s partnership with Bodyform aims to help more girls gain access to honest and open information around periods, so they better understand their bodies, free from period stigma and feel they are able to keep moving regardless of the time of the month,” Edwards added.

Image: Getty