A good surprise. The announcement by Olivier Véran, Thursday September 9 on France 2, to extend free contraception, until now reserved for minors, women up to the age of 25, was widely welcomed by health professionals and women’s rights associations. The cost of the measure, which will appear in the next social security financing bill (PLFSS), has been estimated at 21 million euros annually, detailed the Minister of Health. Three million women between the ages of 18 and 25 could potentially benefit.
Olivier Véran justified the decision by the “Decline in contraception in a number of young women”, primarily because of its cost.
“We welcome the announcement, which is a total surprise”, reacts Marianne Niosi, director of the Confederation of Family Planning. In the association’s offices, “We receive women in a precarious situation such that consultation and contraception can represent too heavy a burden”, she confirms.
Same satisfaction to the National Council of the Order of Midwives. “We defended this measure in vain during the debates preceding the last PLFSS, relying on the fact that the cost of contraception is a brake for some women, especially the youngest”, says Isabelle Derrendinger, the general secretary. According to a 2019 study by La Mutuelle des enfants, 52% of students had not benefited from gynecological follow-up during the year for lack of means, and 12% had none between the ages of 20 and 23, for the same reasons. , recalls the professional.
“Create a climate of trust”
During consultations with Doctor Quentin Berl, obstetrician gynecologist in Toulon, the financial question arises regularly: “I had another patient this morning, for whom her contraception was not suitable, she had to change, he recounts. But the pill I recommended was over $ 10 a month, and she couldn’t. We underestimate what 10 euros represent for many people… ”
The moment of access to contraception is not trivial in the course of a young woman either, he would like to remind. “This is an important first contact with the world of gynecology. It is a question of creating a climate of confidence so that she returns without fear, whereas sometimes the gynecologist is associated with obstetric violence, but it is especially the time to discuss everything, to convey as much information as possible on the issues. sexually transmitted diseases, on screening, or being able to be a medical referent in the event of violence. “
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