Social media call for suggested BSL signs for menstrual health terms

Call for suggestions for BSL glossary of menstrual health terms Menstrual health is a vital aspect of wellbeing. When we talk about ‘menstrual health’ this can mean a range of things including: Menstruation Menstrual cycle Perimenopause Menopause Menstrual conditions linked to pain and heavy bleeding such as endometriosis and fibroids Our understanding of menstrual health has changed over the years. Conversations about menstrual health are becoming more common but it is generally a taboo topic. A scoping study with 12 deaf women revealed that there is a critical lack of BSL vocabulary to talk about menstrual health terms, which creates barriers to accessing information and support for understanding and managing menstrual health issues. This is why we are looking to develop a BSL glossary of menstrual health terms so it will benefit the deaf community and also BSL interpreters and translators. The glossary project is part of an extension to the UKRI-funded project Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Caucus (EDICa). We are striving to create impact through policy and practice by creating accessible and inclusive information about menstrual health. The project is being funded jointly by UK Research & Innovation and the British Academy. We would like to invite you to share examples of BSL signs to be included in this glossary. For example, how do you sign the following terms? Period Menstruation Menstrual cycle Perimenopause Menopause Endometriosis Fibroids What other BSL signs can you think of that are about menstrual health? We will collect suggested signs as drafts to be considered for the final menstrual health BSL glossary. You can submit a suggestion by either: Uploading a video to social media platform and tagging ‪@jeminanapier‬ Sending a video via direct message to @Jemina Napier Emailing a video to the EDI Caucus at EDICaucus@hw.ac.uk Submission of your video will be taken as consent for your suggestion to be included in the draft data set. No videos shared with us via social media will be included in the final glossary. If you share a sign with us, your video and face will not appear in the final glossary. All the suggested signs will be considered by a group of experts. The final signs that will be included in the glossary will be re-filmed by professional deaf translators. Please upload or share your BSL videos by 14 September 2026