The Students’ Union will lobby UCL to revisit its Extenuating Circumstances (EC) policy to explicitly define period pain and other uterine-related issues as Category A, i.e., ‘Circumstances that will normally be considered’.
Proposed by POC Students’ Officer Aaliya Noor Ali and Women’s Officer Devi Sankhla at a Welfare and Community Zone meeting, the policy aims to improve academic outcomes for menstruating students by pushing for clearer guidelines on the support they can access.
The Network Officers argued that menstrual pain should clearly be displayed as a valid EC, explaining that uterine conditions often do not neatly fall in the categories of either short-term illness or long-term illness.
“I think a lot of women aren’t aware of the fact that their menstrual pain is something they can receive support for,” Sankhla mentioned when the original policy was proposed at the Welfare Zone.
The policy also proposes that personal and departmental tutors are equipped with the right tools and language to effectively signpost students to support.
Sankhla and Ali also highlighted the institutional barriers faced by those experiencing acute menstrual pain in obtaining formal diagnoses, which may, in turn, stop these students from accessing Reasonable Academic Adjustments (formerly known as SoRAs), as these adjustments can only be accessed by those with supporting documentation.
The average wait time for an endometriosis diagnosis in the UK stood at an alarming 8 years and 10 months in 2024. These delays are generally even longer for People of Colour, who are simultaneously more likely to experience debilitating period pain.
Ali also emphasised the importance of the policy for international students, stating that “you sometimes get a diagnosis from your home country, but the NHS doesn’t really recognise it”.
The proposal stated it “has the potential to improve academic experience for students who menstruate, as well as in turn, their performance in coursework and exams.
“For People of Colour who are facing systemic injustices in the NHS to receive a diagnosis for a ureteral condition, this policy will reduce anxiety about whether their EC will be accepted or not for period pain, and empower them to achieve their potential, knowing they have [the Union] to support them.”
Sankhla told The Cheese Grater: “I’m delighted our policy has passed at the Union Executive. Having period pain explicitly stated on the EC criteria would mark a big step by providing formal recognition of an issue that is too often delegitimised and ignored.”
“Over the next year, I will continue working closely with the Welfare Officer and the SU to follow up on their efforts to lobby UCL and push for action.”
