France Launches National Fertility Awareness Campaign for 29-Year-Olds

The French government is launching a targeted national fertility awareness campaign that will send direct correspondence to all 29-year-old citizens starting by the end of November. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist announced the initiative on Tuesday after receiving a status report from the monitoring committee overseeing the national plan against infertility.

Under the measures implemented through the state health insurance agency Assurance Maladie, men and women turning 29 will receive guidance on preconception care and reproductive health. The official correspondence advises individuals planning parenthood to seek a dedicated medical consultation to assess general health, lifestyle factors, and potential risk factors prior to pregnancy. For couples experiencing difficulty conceiving, the ministry recommends seeking specialist evaluation after 12 months of unsuccessful attempts for women under 35, or after six months for those aged 35 and older.

Alongside the direct mailing, the government is introducing a central information repository titled "Ma fertilité" hosted on the public medical portal Santé.fr. The campaign also includes audio broadcasts and promotional material deployed across doctors' waiting rooms nationwide to highlight non-age factors affecting fertility, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diet, sleep, and physical activity.

The awareness drive forms part of a 16-point national anti-infertility strategy presented by Rist in February, which built upon President Emmanuel Macron’s 2024 initiative calling for demographic rearmament. According to figures provided by the ministry of health, between 15 and 25 percent of couples trying to conceive in France encounter reproductive difficulties, affecting more than three million citizens.

As part of the strategy, Rist indicated plans to expand the network of medical centres authorized to perform social egg freezing for non-medical reasons. Under French law, women aged 29 to 37 are permitted to preserve their oocytes for potential use up to age 45, while men between 29 and 45 may store sperm for use until age 59. Last year, more than 20,000 women applied for gamete self-preservation, representing a 30 percent increase within 12 months, while waiting periods in regional healthcare facilities currently range from 14 to 24 months.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com