NJ S2685

New Jersey school districts would be required to provide age-appropriate instruction on menstrual health and hygiene for students in grades 4 through 12 as part of the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards.

Instruction must cover proper use of menstrual hygiene products (pads, tampons, cups) and potential complications including Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Curriculum would include information on menstrual disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and dysmenorrhea, including their effects on fertility, pregnancy, and overall health.

Schools must teach about "period poverty"—defined as lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual education, and proper facilities—and its short and long-term effects.

Parents and guardians must receive notification detailing the instruction topics before any menstrual health unit begins, and the bill would take effect in the first full school year following enactment.