The announcement was made from Fontaine-le-Comte, near Poitiers, in the Vienne department. This Thursday, Emmanuel Macron assured that from 2023 access to condoms in pharmacies would be free for young people between the ages of 18 and 25.
“In pharmacies, condoms will be free for young people aged 18/25. This will start on January 1st. It is a small prevention revolution”, said the president during a session of the National Refoundation Council (CNR).
“Small prevention revolution”
A few hours later, Emmanuel Macron returned to this announcement on Twitter. In two messages, he assured that the decision was motivated by the “resurgence among young people” of “sexually transmitted diseases” that calls for “a small revolution in prevention.”
According to him, this free condom for this age group “is based on other measures.”
“Free emergency contraception for all women in pharmacies, free screening without a prescription extended to other sexually transmitted infections other than HIV for those under 26 years of age,” it adds.
Since December 2018, to fight against AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Social Security has already reimbursed condoms with a doctor’s or midwife’s prescription.
But this device is still unknown: only 21% of minors and 29% of those aged 18 to 24 know about it, according to Elysée.
However, the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly chlamydia and gonococcus, is on the rise among young people, especially among men aged 15-29 (+45% between 2017 and 2019), according to data from presidency . In 2021, the number of new HIV infection diagnoses has also stagnated at around 5,000.
Source: BFM TV
