Macron announces free condoms for under-25s in France
French president Emmanuel Macron has announced that from the beginning of January, condoms will be available for free in pharmacies for young people.
Speaking while on a visit to Vienne in south west France, the president said: "In pharmacies, condoms will be free for 18-25 year-olds. This will begin on January 1st.
He added: "It is a small revolution of prevention."
Since 2019 condoms have been available on prescription from doctors and midwives, with the cost reimbursed via the carte vitale health card.
However, Macron's announcement goes a step further and makes them available on an over-the-counter basis from pharmacies, without the need for a prescription or to obtain a reimbursement via the health card.
Since the beginning of 2022, women aged between 18 and 25 have been offered the contraceptive pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other long-term contraceptives for free, while all women can now access the morning-after pill for free.
Under-18s are already entitled to free contraception, but there were concerns that some women were stopping contraception once they turned 18 because of the cost.
The French government also launched on December 1st a new advertising campaign around AIDS - reminding people that with correct treatment AIDS patients can end with an undetectable viral load and therefore be unable to pass on the virus.
Et je le rappelle: une personne séropositive avec une charge virale indétectable ne peut pas transmettre le VIH.
Indétectable = intransmissible pic.twitter.com/6Ike5Yq8tK
— Isabelle Rome (@RomeIsabelle) December 1, 2022
The campaign, which is appearing on billboards around France, is a play on words on séropositif (HIV positive).
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Speaking while on a visit to Vienne in south west France, the president said: "In pharmacies, condoms will be free for 18-25 year-olds. This will begin on January 1st.
He added: "It is a small revolution of prevention."
Since 2019 condoms have been available on prescription from doctors and midwives, with the cost reimbursed via the carte vitale health card.
However, Macron's announcement goes a step further and makes them available on an over-the-counter basis from pharmacies, without the need for a prescription or to obtain a reimbursement via the health card.
Since the beginning of 2022, women aged between 18 and 25 have been offered the contraceptive pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other long-term contraceptives for free, while all women can now access the morning-after pill for free.
Under-18s are already entitled to free contraception, but there were concerns that some women were stopping contraception once they turned 18 because of the cost.
The French government also launched on December 1st a new advertising campaign around AIDS - reminding people that with correct treatment AIDS patients can end with an undetectable viral load and therefore be unable to pass on the virus.
Et je le rappelle: une personne séropositive avec une charge virale indétectable ne peut pas transmettre le VIH.
— Isabelle Rome (@RomeIsabelle) December 1, 2022
Indétectable = intransmissible pic.twitter.com/6Ike5Yq8tK
The campaign, which is appearing on billboards around France, is a play on words on séropositif (HIV positive).
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