France will give free access to contraception to women up to 25 years old

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French Health Minister Olivier Veran speaks during a press conference on the government’s strategy for the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19), Paris, France, on April 22, 2021. Ludovic Marin / Pool via Reuters

PARIS, Sept. 9 (Reuters) – France will allow free access to birth control for women up to 25 years old from January 1 onwards, in a new measure that will cost the state 21 million ($ 24.8 million) a year, French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday.

The announcement of the policy comes as the government of President Emmanuel Macron prepares for the 2022 election campaign.

“There is a decrease in contraceptive use among some young women and it is mainly for financial reasons,” Veran told France 2 television.

“It’s unbearable that women can’t protect themselves, they can’t have access to contraception if they want to make that decision because it’s too expensive,” she added.

Until now, the age limit for free access to contraception in France was 18 years.

($ 1 = 0.8461 euros)

Report by Dominique Vidalon; Edition of Sudip Kar-Gupta

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