We explain the free contraception for women up to 25 years, which comes into force this Saturday

The government had announced it in early September, the measure now comes into force on Saturday, January 1: contraception, already available free of charge for young girls, is now also available for women up to 25 years inclusive. From this Saturday, the Health Insurance will cover 100% and in third party paying all the costs necessary for contraception for women in this age group: one consultation per year with a doctor or a midwife. woman, the resulting biological examinations, as well as the contraceptives themselves.

In all, three million young women are potentially affected by this device, which amounts to 21 million euros per year. A measure promised in early September by the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, who emphasized that contraception was in “recoil” in young women, and that “the first reason is the renunciation for financial reasons”. He is “insupportable” than “women cannot protect themselves (…) because it costs them too much”, he insisted.

In detail, women under the age of 26 will have access to “one consultation per year with a doctor or a midwife, with a view to a contraception prescription or biological examinations in connection with contraception”, so “a follow-up consultation during the first year of access to contraception”, specifies the Ministry of Health.

“The biological examinations necessary for contraception once a year”, “acts giving rise to the installation, change or withdrawal of a contraceptive” and the “delivery of contraceptives”, reimbursable on presentation of a prescription, are also included in the device, which also includes emergency contraception, or the morning-after pill.

Note, however: not all contraceptives are covered by the measure. Only certain contraceptive pills (1st and 2nd generations), contraceptive implants, IUDs, diaphragms and hormonal emergency contraception may be reimbursed. Until then, these means of contraception were reimbursed for adults, but only at 65% and on medical prescription.“This does not apply to male and female condoms, spermicidal creams, patches, vaginal rings and 3rd and 4th generation pills”, indicates the site of the Public Service.

Until then, only 15-18 year-olds had access to free contraception since 2013. The rate of abortion (voluntary termination of pregnancy) in this age group has fallen sharply since, from 9.5 to 6 per 1000 between 2012 and 2018. Since August 2020, it had been extended to under 15 years.

During its announcement, several medical organizations welcomed the announcement, while stressing that other measures would still be necessary to ensure wide access to contraception. Family Planning, a feminist association that has campaigned since 1960 for the right to contraception and abortion, also welcomed this device, while calling for a “major national information campaign” on contraception and a more proactive sexuality education policy.

For the time being, reimbursement for male contraception is not yet on the table, for example. Only two brands of male condoms, EDEN and Sortez Couvert !, are reimbursed up to 60% by Health Insurance. But by unanimously adopting the law last October, the deputies provided for a government report to Parliament on the means to be implemented to also develop this contraception.