These two measures will be included in the social security financing bill for 2023, which will be presented in the Council of Ministers on September 26.
Le Monde with AFP
After announcing a great debate on the healthcare system in Sunday newspaper , then takes stock of France Inter on Eighth wave of COVID-19 , the Minister of health, François Braun, announced, Tuesday, September 20, in an interview on a daily basis 20 minutes , free emergency contraception and screening of sexually tfections t ransmissible (IST).
“With regard to female contraception, we strengthen (…) the protection of women by facilitating their access to emergency contraception (or pill of the next day) in pharmacy, free of charge and without prescription, at any age “, announces Mr. Braun.
Until now, the next day’s pill has been available free of charge and without a prescription only for minors, in pharmacies, from school nurses or in screening or sexual health centers, and for major students.
The cost in pharmacy for adults varied between three and twenty euros depending on the drugs, with a possibility of partial care by social security on presentation of a prescription.
“The government acts concretely so that women no longer give up emergency contraception for financial reasons, the first reason for renunciation,” said the Minister Delegate responsible for equality between women and the women and Men, Isabelle Rome. “At a time when we are witnessing a rise in conservatisms in Europe and in the world, our government demonstrates once again that gender equality and women’s right to have their bodies are absolute priorities”, she added.
Furthermore, Mr. Braun said that he would seize “the High Authority for Health to have recommendations from scientific authorities on male contraception”.
beam of causes
Regarding IST screening, only that of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, AIDS manager) was so far free. “From now on, the possibility of screening will be extended to all sexually transmitted infections to fight as early as possible against the resumption of infections,” said the minister. It will be free and without prescription up to 26 years.
m. Braun has indeed observed “the increase in sexually transmitted infections, specifically chlamydia and gonococcus”, and believes that “all prevention axes must be improved” because “France is late compared to others European countries. Only 2 % of our budget is devoted to prevention, compared to 4 % among our neighbors “. As for the causes, “it is very complicated” to know them, he said, evoking “a lack of prevention, information or a more global relaxation”.
These two measures will be included in the social security financing bill for 2023, which will be presented in the Council of Ministers on September 26.