France will repay condoms to fight AIDS

Condoms can now be reimbursed in France on medical prescription, a rare measure to fight against AIDS and badual infections, while prevention marks the pace.

The number of new infections with HIV remains high in France, with around 6,000 new cases per year. And young people are particularly struck, with "800 to 1,000 new cases among people under 25, who often use condoms for their first badual intercourse, but not in the following acts"said Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn on France radio inter.

To strengthen the prevention of HIV and badually transmitted infections (STIs), the French government has decided to encourage the use of condoms, just days from World AIDS Day, Saturday. From December 10th, the French will be able to be delivered in pharmacy of "Boxes of 6, 12 or 24 condoms (…) on presentation of a prescription from a doctor or a midwife"said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

A mark concerned

A rare measure, which some Belgian mutuals also adopted in 2016. In France, the reimbursement for the moment concerns only one brand: Eden male condoms, manufactured by the French Majorelle, the first laboratory to make such an approach in France. This condom – inexpensive compared to competing brands – will be reimbursed by Social Security up to 60% on the basis of a selling price of 2.60 euros per box of 12 and the group hopes that mutuals will cover the rest dependent.

Majorelle had requested and obtained in June a favorable opinion of the High Authority of Health (HAS), judging that the service rendered by his male condoms could justify a reimbursement by the Health Insurance. "We can now, when we are young or when we present particular risks, or not elsewhere, when we are a woman or when we are a man, go see his doctor and have condoms refunded on medical prescription"said Agnes Buzyn.

"One more rope"

This announcement was hailed by the AIDS badociations. "Anything that promotes access to prevention tools of any kind can only be good news. (…) There must be no financial obstacle, whatever the means chosen "Responded Florence Thune, Director General of Sidaction, interviewed by AFP. "It's one more rope to our bow" also welcomed Caroline Izambert, Advocacy Officer at Aides, stressing that the reimbursement of condoms is requested by the badociations "Since the beginning of the fight against AIDS".

A strong signal

Florence Thune, however, expresses concern about "The facility for a young person to make an appointment with a doctor, often the family doctor, to talk about baduality". "Eden's medical treatment and prescription will revitalize the condom's image, sending a strong signal that it is not a bad toy but a real tool. essential prevention, (and allow) to develop its use, especially among young people and new users whose purchasing power is very constrained ", says Majorelle, in a statement.

The badociations hope that other brands will follow suit, to adapt to the preferences and needs of everyone (latex allergy, for example), and argue that the female condom is also affected by the device. This initiative should not be at the expense of budgets for the free distribution of condoms, also underlines Caroline Izambert. According to Agnès Buzyn, the Ministry of Health finances the distribution of about 5 million free condoms a year. In total, 120 million condoms were sold in France last year, according to Majorelle.