China student: Told to 'take off trousers' for period leave
KUALA LUMPUR: A video has gone viral in China, allegedly showing a college student being asked to remove her trousers to prove she was menstruating.
According to the BBC, the student claimed she was told to do so in order to obtain a medical certificate for sick leave.
The footage, which appears to have been recorded inside a university clinic, sparked outrage on Chinese social media platforms.
Following the incident, the student's account on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, was suspended for 30 days, with her content flagged as "pornographic".
The incident reportedly occurred at the Gengdan Institute in Beijing.
In the video, the student asked: "Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?"
The staff member responded: "Basically yes. This is a school rule."
The clip quickly went viral, with many netizens criticising the exchange as degrading and a gross invasion of privacy.
Chinese media confirmed that the video was filmed inside the Gengdan Institute's on-campus clinic.
In a statement dated May 16, the college said staff had followed the protocol and initiated treatment after getting the student's permission.
It added that no tools were used and no physical examination was conducted.
The statement further claimed that online versions of the video had been distorted and warned that the school had the right to take legal action against those who maliciously spread untrue videos.
However, in the video, the staff member does not respond when the student asks for written proof of the policy.
The student is then advised to go to a hospital instead.
Despite the video and the school's official response being taken down, snippets and screenshots continue to circulate online.
The incident has drawn widespread backlash online, with many users calling the school's approach archaic and humiliating.
A Gengdan staff member later told Dute News that the rule may have been implemented to prevent students from faking menstrual pain to obtain leave. However, the explanation did little to ease public anger.
"If they're worried about students using their periods as an excuse several times a month, why not simply make a record of it? It's not that complicated," one Weibo user posted.
State media also criticised the school's approach.
"Menstruation is already an intimate topic for women. Rules like this will make students feel very uncomfortable, and even negatively impact students' psychological wellbeing," wrote China National Radio in an opinion piece.
The backlash adds to growing criticism of Chinese universities for over-policing students' private lives.
Last year, some institutions faced public ire for banning privacy curtains in dormitories, citing fire safety risks.
Others introduced strict holiday travel rules, including bans on solo trips, road trips, and cycling, which many saw as an overreach.
On Xiaohongshu, a user claiming to be a Gengdan student shared her experience at the university.
"The school's clinic deserves all the criticism it's getting.
"I heard from some older students that this kind of thing has been going on for a while. Some girls spoke up before, but nothing was done.
"I'm glad it made the trending topics this time. People didn't stay silent," the user said.
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