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Just before International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne made a point of sending a strong signal: to fight against menstrual poverty, reusable period protection will be reimbursed from 2024 for women under 25.
In France, nearly 4 million women aged 18 to 50 are victims of menstrual precariousness. Concretely, this means that 4 million French women have difficulty obtaining periodic protection because of their price, in particular. A situation that is increasing all the more among young women: according to an exclusive Opinionway study for Elementary Rules, nearly one in two women aged 18-24 is in a precarious situation, a figure that has doubled since 2021. However, periodic protections are consumer goods that are difficult to do without.
Protections purchased in pharmacies without a prescription will be reimbursed
The Prime Minister’s announcement is therefore good news. On France 5, on March 6, Elisabeth Borne announced that all reusable periodic protection (washable towels, period panties, and menstrual cups) will be reimbursed by Social Security, from 2024 for those under 25 years old.
To be reimbursed, these periodic protections will however have to be purchased at a pharmacy, which will be possible without a prescription. “It is unthinkable that women cannot have the protections they need”commented the Prime Minister.
One more step to fight menstrual poverty
To fight against menstrual precariousness, the government had already announced in February 2021, the establishment of free periodic protection in universities.
In Europe, several measures are also moving in this direction: in August 2022, Scotland announced that all disposable sanitary protection would now be free for all women. As for Spain, in February it became the first European country to vote for the creation of menstrual leave in the event of periods that are too painful. What to live a little more with dignity this feminine episode.
New instructions on packaging
Did you know ? Since January 1, 2023, the compositions of periodic protections are now listed on the packaging. The precautions for use and the serious undesirable effects that the components of the intimate protections can cause are also included. As common consumer goods (and not medical devices), no regulations until now required manufacturers to make the composition of the protections visible or to provide a notice with the contraindications.