The key facts

  • By the end of November, 29-year-old French citizens will receive an informational letter from Assurance Maladie
  • The campaign is one of 16 measures of the infertility plan presented in February by Minister Stéphanie Rist
  • Requests for oocyte freezing rose by 30% over the year, with a waiting period of 14 to 24 months

A letter for 29-year-olds and a new portal

On November 3, the monitoring committee for the fertility plan handed its report to French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, after which she announced the launch of a major information campaign for couples planning to have a child. According to euronews, by the end of November, French men and women aged 29 will receive a letter from Assurance Maladie in order, in the minister's words, to «give every adult the opportunity to understand and preserve their fertility».

What the letter recommends

Those who want to have children will be advised in the letter to undergo a «preconception consultation» with a specialist to assess their health, lifestyle and possible concerns. Couples who fail to conceive are advised to see a specialist after one year of trying before age 35, and after six months of trying after age 35 — provided there are no particular problems. It is emphasized that, in addition to age, fertility is affected by diet, sleep, physical activity, and tobacco and alcohol use. At the same time, the government is launching the «Ma fertilité» portal on the Santé.fr website, as well as audio messages and posters in doctors' waiting rooms.

Context: the infertility plan

The campaign's novelty is relative: it corresponds to one of the 16 measures of the infertility plan presented by Rist in February following President Emmanuel Macron's call for a «demographic rearmament», made in 2024. According to the minister, in France between 15 and 25% of couples wishing to conceive a child face difficulties — more than three million people. She intends to increase the number of centers performing oocyte preservation for non-medical reasons: oocytes can be stored between the ages of 29 and 37 and used until age 45, while sperm can be stored between the ages of 29 and 45 and used until age 59. Last year, more than 20,000 women requested oocyte preservation — a 30% increase over the year, but the waiting period ranges from 14 to 24 months depending on the region. «Fertility is a major public health issue that concerns both women and men. Too often, difficulties are discovered late, even though we can act earlier», Rist wrote in a press release.