France will offer free birth control to all women up to the age of 25 from next year
PARIS – France will offer free birth control to all women up to the age of 25 from next year, the health minister announced on Thursday.
The measure will also include free medical visits on contraception and will begin Jan. 1, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced on France-2 television.
All contraceptive methods were already free for girls up to 18 years old, and this is being extended to all women up to 25 years old. Abortions in France are free for everyone.
Veran said young women use contraception less than they used to and that the main reason is financial. He did not cite specific data. France’s state health system covers some birth control costs, but not all.
“It’s intolerable that women can’t protect themselves, they can’t use contraception if they make that decision, because it would cost too much,” Veran said.
The measure will cost the government about 21 million euros (about $ 25 million) a year, he said.
“Finally!” tweeted Alyssa Ahrabare of the activist group Osez le feminisme. “The high price of medical consultations and contraception blocks several women’s access to this essential right that allows them to maintain control of their bodies and lives.”
The Minister of Health did not address contraceptive methods for men nor did he specify whether the measure would apply to trans and non-binary people. The Ministry of Health did not respond to questions asking for clarification.
Several other European countries offer free or subsidized contraception. Contraceptive methods cost nothing in Britain, for example, and the Spanish healthcare system provides funding for 48 different methods of birth control and those administered at health centers are free.