But social media users have decried the encounter as a serious invasion of privacy. A college in Beijing has found itself at the centre of public fury after it allegedly asked a student to prove she was on her period to qualify for sick leave. Neither the student nor Gengdan Institute immediately responded to BBC News' requests for comment. On social media, the incident has triggered an outpouring of anger and sarcasm towards the school's rules. On social media site Xiaohongshu, a user claiming to be a student at Gengdan Institute said "the school's clinic deserves all the criticism it's getting".