The Government wants to fight once morest menstrual precariousness among young people by reimbursing 100% of reusable protection.
While menstruation occurs every month, many girls and young women still do not have access to feminine protection. This phenomenon has a name: menstrual precariousness. In France, it would touch more than 4 million women and more particularly young people between 18 and 24 years old.
Beyond the inflation that impacts everyone’s daily life, periodic protection is expensive. This applies to both classic pads, tampons and reusable protection such as cups or menstrual panties. Gold, failure to access these protections can impact women’s lives. Some refuse to go to school or cannot go to work.
To combat this precariousness, some actions have been implemented. At the local level, distributors of free sanitary protection are available in colleges, high schools and universities. But the government has decided to go further.
Combining an ecological gesture with the desire to stop menstrual precariousness among young people
On March 6, 2023, the program C à Vous received Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. If she was questioned on several subjects, the question of menstrual precariousness was mentioned. The Prime Minister then took advantage of the program to announce the establishment ofa new measure for 2024.
Indeed, she confirmed that young girls up to the age of 25 will be able to benefit from a full refund of reusable protections. Concretely, they will be able to benefit from it without a prescription and without special conditions. However, for 100% coverage to be achieved, women will need to buy reusable pads at the pharmacy.
If this measure allows women to protect themselves during their periods, it is also ecological and economical. Indeed, reusable pads can be washed and not thrown away like conventional towels. In addition, full reimbursement avoids significant expenses.
Menstrual insecurity is a reality that affects too many women.
It is a daily injustice.From 2024, reusable period protection will be reimbursed by social security for women aged 25 and under. pic.twitter.com/ouTqqbG7xz
— Élisabeth BORNE (@Elisabeth_Borne) March 6, 2023
What reusable protection will be affected by this measure?
Moreover, the associations point out to what extent the purchase of classic protections represents a significant budget. According to their estimates, this would represent on average between 100 and 150 euros per year. Knowing that a woman has her period for regarding 40 years, protections can cost up to 7,200 euros over a lifetime.
The Government’s measure will help women entering working life to protect themselves serenely without it being a financial problem. Besides, the measure will concern all forms of reusable protection. Women will therefore be able to choose between the menstrual cup (the cup), the menstrual panties or the cleanable sanitary napkin.
