French government launches fertility awareness campaign targeting 29-year-olds
The health insurance system is about to send 29-year-old men and women a message on fertility issues, a key measure in the government’s anti-infertility plan launched in February.
On 3 November, the monitoring committee for the French fertility plan submitted a report to Health Minister Stéphanie Rist. Shortly thereafter, she announced a nationwide awareness campaign targeting 29-year-olds who are planning to have children. By the end of the month, Assurance Maladie will send an informative letter to all French women and men of that age, aiming to empower adults to grasp and safeguard their fertility.
The letter encourages those wishing to conceive to seek preconception consultations, where they can assess their health, lifestyle choices, and any concerns, thereby preparing for a healthy pregnancy. For couples struggling to conceive, the letter advises consulting a specialist after one year of trying before age 35 and six months after age 35.
While age remains a crucial factor, fertility is influenced by various medical, environmental, and behavioural elements, such as diet, sleep, exercise, and the intake of tobacco and alcohol. To complement the campaign, the government is also launching the Ma fertilité portal, offering comprehensive fertility-related information on Santé.fr, along with audio messages and posters in doctors' waiting rooms.
This campaign builds upon one of the 16 measures in the fertility plan introduced by Minister Rist in February, as part of the "demographic rearmament" initiative launched by President Emmanuel Macron in 2024. Approximately 15 to 25% of couples in France seeking to conceive experience difficulties, affecting over three million individuals. The minister emphasized that the initiative seeks to augment the number of centers capable of offering egg freezing for non-medical reasons.
The letter reiterates that in France, one can preserve gametes (reproductive cells) for potential future parenthood. For women, this involves storing oocytes (female reproductive cells) between ages 29 and 37, with the option of use up to age 45. Men can store sperm between ages 29 and 45, with usage potential until age 59. Last year, over 20,000 women sought to store their oocytes, marking a 30% increase from the previous year.
However, waiting times for gamete storage vary from 14 to 24 months across different regions, highlighting the urgency of addressing fertility challenges early on.
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