Country Correspondents: Roosa Tikkanen and Angèle Malâtre-Lansac
In November 2018, the French national health authority took a bold move ahead of World AIDS Day, announcing that it will partially reimburse the cost of male condoms obtained through prescription from a doctor or midwife. The aim is to combat the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. A report last year showed that cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea tripled in France between 2012 and 2016, with young people ages 15 to 24 most affected. At the moment, coverage extends only to two brands of condoms, including the French-made Eden, which costs far less than leading brands. France joins a handful of European countries that cover the cost of condoms through their national health insurance system.
