France Will Make Free Condoms for People 25 and Under Starting Next Year

JAKARTA - France plans to provide condoms free of charge in pharmacies to anyone under the age of 25 from next year, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday.

The move, which came at a time when high inflation is weighing down household budgets, is aimed at fighting a rise in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among young people.

French health authorities estimate that PMS rates across the country will increase by around 30 percent in 2020 and 2021.

Condoms prescribed by a doctor or midwife have been replaced by French Social Security since December 2018, as part of efforts to fight AIDS and STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections).

President Macron initially said condoms would be free at pharmacies for anyone aged 18-25 starting January 1.

But, after a French TV presenter and others challenged him on social networks about why the measure would not include minors, the president agreed to expand the program.

"Let's do it," President Macron said in a selfie video he took from the sidelines of a summit in Spain, launching Euronews on December 10.

He later tweeted: "A lot of minors have sex too. They need to protect themselves too."

Condoms are also free for minors with a medical prescription or those who request them at the school hospital.

But the scheme remains largely unknown: only 21 percent of minors and 29 percent of 18-24-year-olds are aware of it, according to the French president's office.

STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are increasing among young people, especially among men aged 15 to 29, with a 45 percent increase between 2017 and 2019, according to national data.

In 2021, the number of new HIV diagnoses will also stagnate at around 5,000.

President Macron has previously set a goal of "zero new HIV infections" in France by 2030 and eliminating STIs "as a major public health problem".