A letter to provide information on issues related to fertility: next summer, all 29-year-olds will receive a document on reproduction and infertility. This measure is one of the 16 points of the plan against infertility, presented Thursday February 5, by the Ministry of Health.
Better information about fertility
“On fertility where 1 in 8 couples experience difficulties at the border of intimate choices and health, the time is for action”announces Stéphanie Rist, Minister of Health, in a press release. On Thursday, the steering committee dedicated to the fight against infertility presented the various measures. The first concerns prevention and information: a portal on reproductive health and fertility will be created to disseminate “reliable information, scientifically validated and adapted to different ages of life”. At the same time, the letter will be sent to young people aged 29 to “avoid the ‘if I had known’indicates the Ministry. “This approach aims to strengthen the power to act of young adults, without injunction or social pressure, and will therefore logically contain information on sexual health and contraception.” The document will also recall the possibility of preserving gametes.
Infertility: 30 additional oocyte self-preservation centers
On this point, the plan announces the deployment of 30 oocyte self-preservation centers, in addition to the 40 existing ones. The government therefore wishes to reach 70 centers open by 2028. In her press release, the Minister of Health announces the start of discussions “for the opening of self-preservation of oocytes to private for-profit centers, in order to broaden the offer and reduce access times”. The government wants to launch a national survey on self-preservation to “better understand the motivations, expectations and profiles of the people concerned”.
PCOS and endometriosis: improving diagnosis and management
The plan also includes measures on pathologies linked to fertility, including endometriosis. The Ministry wishes to improve its diagnosis and treatment. But it also targets polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), “pathology strongly associated with infertility, still insufficiently diagnosed”. This hormonal disorder affects between 10 and 13% of women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, but 70% of those affected are unaware of it. “PCOS is the most common cause of anovulation worldwide and a leading cause of infertility.warns the WHO.
According to a report published in 2022, and commissioned by the Ministry of Health, 3.3 million French people are affected by infertility.
