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Condoms are now free for young people in France.
According to the Ministry of Health, contraceptives under the age of 26 can be obtained free of charge from pharmacies.
The scheme was announced in December and was initially only intended to apply to people aged 18 to 25.
President Emmanuel Macron then wanted to extend the measure to minors.
"It's a small contraceptive revolution," Macron announced at an event on youth health in December.
The sexual health of young people is an important issue, Macron said.
In particular, he addressed the vaccination of teenagers against papillomavirus infections – he did not rule out compulsory vaccination.
As for sex education, “we're not good at that.
Reality is very, very far from theory.
We have to train our teachers better in this area, we have to sensitize them again," said the head of state.
Human papillomavirus can increase cancer risk
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is transmitted during sex, and most sexually active people will contract HPV at least once in their lives.
Many of these infections are harmless, but some HPV strains can increase the risk of cancer.
This is already known for certain for cervical cancer, cancer of the mouth and throat, of the penis and of the anus.
For almost a year, the contraceptive pill and other contraceptives such as an IUD have been free for under-25s in France.
Previously, only underage girls in France could have the pill prescribed free of charge.
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