Agriculture secretary cancels $600K grant for study on menstrual cycles in transgender men

The U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled a grant worth $600,000 for the study of menstrual cycles in transgender men, Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday.

The Southern University Agricultural & Mechanical College in Louisiana was the recipient of the grant, according to a database on USAspending.gov.

“The first occurrence of menstruation occurs at approximately 12 years of age and ends with menopause at roughly 51 years of age,” the grant description reads. “A woman will have a monthly menstrual cycle for about 40 years of her life, averaging to about 450 periods over the course of her lifetime.”

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Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks to members of the press outside the White House in Washington, D.C. on February 14, 2025. (Getty Images)

“It is also important to recognize that transgender men and people with masculine gender identities, intersex and non-binary persons may also menstruate,” the description adds. “At any given moment about 26% of the world’s population is menstruating.”

The study seeks to “address growing concerns” related to menstruation, including the potential use of natural fibers, such as hemp, in feminine hygiene products.

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Brooke Rollins speaks to members of the media outside the White House in Washington, DC, on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Getty Images)

The grant had been scheduled to remain in progress until April 2027.

The study was first uncovered by the conservative nonprofit American Principles Project, which has identified more than 340 federal grants issued during the Biden administration to various institutions — including colleges and hospitals — that totaled more than $128 million in federal funds.