On Twitter, the President of the Republic believes that the current situation calls for “a small revolution in prevention” with regard to this age group.
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 would be free in pharmacies for young people aged 18 to 25.
“In pharmacies, condoms will be free for 18/25 year olds. This will start on January 1. It’s a small prevention revolution,” said the president during a session of the National Council for Refoundation (CNR ).
“Small prevention revolution”
A few hours later, Emmanuel Macron returned to this announcement on Twitter. In two messages, he assured that the decision had been motivated by the “upsurge among young people” of “sexually transmitted diseases” which calls for “a small revolution in prevention.”
According to him, this free condoms 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 than HIV for those under 26,” he adds.
Since December 2018, to fight against AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), condoms have already been reimbursed by Social Security on prescription from a doctor or a midwife.
But this device is still unknown: only 21% of minors and 29% of 18-24 year olds are aware of it, according to the Elysee.
However, the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in particular chlamydia and gonococcus, is on the rise among young people, especially among men aged 15 to 29 (+ 45% between 2017 and 2019), according to the data of the presidency. In 2021, the number of new diagnoses of HIV infection has also stagnated around 5000.
Source: BFM TV
