A university in China has sparked public outrage after a student who requested sick leave due to menstrual discomfort was asked to pull down her pants to “prove her condition”.
On May 15, a student at the Gengdan Institute of Beijing University of Technology, located in the capital, posted a video online claiming that she was asked to undress at the campus clinic to verify that she had her period when she applied for sick leave.
The Gengdan Institute is an independent and private undergraduate college affiliated with Beijing University of Technology, one of China’s top public universities.
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In the viral video, the student, whose name was not disclosed, asks: “So what you are saying is, every woman on her period has to take off her pants and show you to get a leave note?”
A female member of staff responds: “Basically, yes. It is not my personal rule, it is a regulation.”
The student then demands written proof of the rule, but the staff member remains silent and insists she cannot issue the leave note, before directing the student to go to a hospital for documentation.
On May 16, the university issued a statement claiming that the member of staff had acted “in accordance with standard procedures”.
“According to our investigation, the clinic staff followed proper protocols. They inquired about the student’s physical condition and, after obtaining her consent, proceeded with further diagnosis. No instruments or physical examinations were used,” the university said.
A relevant staff member, surnamed Xu, told CNR News that the rule had not been newly implemented and was primarily intended to “prevent the abuse of sick leave”.
“To my knowledge, the rule was introduced because some students repeatedly claimed to be on their period to request sick leave. One girl even asked for leave four or five times in a single month. So the school had its reasons for enforcing this policy,” said Xu.
The student later posted another video saying that she had visited a hospital and successfully obtained the required documentation.
“I am simply asking for a reasonable and respectful policy on how women can request leave during their period,” she said.
“If the school truly has a written rule requiring female students to show menstrual blood to a female doctor in order to qualify for sick leave, I will delete my video. But if no such rule exists, I will not back down,” she added.
The incident provoked a strong backlash on mainland social media, with many netizens denouncing the practice as “absurd” and “humiliating”.
“So, if I have diarrhoea, do I need to poop in front of the school doctor to get leave?” one online observer asked.
“Taking sick leave four or five times a month for menstrual pain is completely reasonable. During my chronic fatigue phase, I had my period for 50 consecutive days,” another person said.
“This is not policy enforcement, it is petty tyranny. Give someone a little power, and they will use it to make life harder for others. Forcing girls to undress is harassment,” a third added.
Zhang Yongquan, a former prosecutor and current partner at Grandall Law Firm, told the Post that the practice clearly violates students’ privacy rights and contravenes Article 1011 of the Civil Code and Article 20 of the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests.
“This approach is a clear violation of students’ privacy and a serious affront to their personal dignity, even if no medical instruments were used.
“It reflects a fundamental distrust of students and fails to align with the core values our education system is meant to uphold,” said Zhang.
“Such actions constitute degrading treatment and could cause significant mental distress or long-term psychological harm.
“The school should be held accountable through a public apology, compensation for emotional damages, and administrative penalties imposed by the education authorities,” he added.
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