Posted Sep 20, 2022, 9:33 PMUpdated on Sep 20, 2022 at 9:36 PM
France devotes only 2% of its budget to health prevention against 3% in neighboring countries and the Minister of Health François Braun wants to raise the bar. Particularly with regard to women’s health, the theme of his visit scheduled for Wednesday at the Hospital Center of the Four Cities of Saint-Cloud, in the Hauts-de-Seine. “There are two things that pose a problem for me: the increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically chlamydia and gonococcus, as well as the problem of access to emergency contraception,” summed up the Minister of Health in an interview posted online Tuesday evening by the daily “20 Minutes”.
He announced two measures that will be included in the 2023 Social Security financing bill, presented to the Council of Ministers on September 26. In terms of emergency contraception, the Minister will extend to all women free access to the morning after pill, in pharmacies and without a prescription. Screening for sexually transmitted infections will also be free and without a prescription for children up to 26 years old.
Venereal diseases on the rise
Today, the morning after pill is free and without a prescription only for minors, and free but with a prescription for those under 26. The Minister wants to fight against the difficulties of access to emergency contraception, knowing that its effectiveness is maximum within 24 hours following the report at risk of pregnancy.
Its cost in pharmacies ranges from 3 euros to around twenty euros and its coverage by Social Security is only partial, on presentation of a prescription.
Regarding screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), only HIV screening was free up to now. The possibility of screening will be extended to all STIs to combat their current rise in France.
General delay of France
Difficult to identify the causes of this recovery, which could be explained by a relaxation during the pandemic , the minister, who underlines, beyond STIs, a more general delay of France in prevention, including the practice of the activity sports, vaccination against the papillomavirus, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, etc.
Faced with the questioning of the right to abortion in the United States, François Braun also declared himself in favor of the integration of this right to abortion in the French Constitution.
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