France plans to send fertility information letters to women and men aged 29 by the end of November, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said on November 3. The letters will explain factors that can affect fertility and encourage people planning a pregnancy to discuss their health with a professional.
The mailing is part of a wider awareness campaign aimed at adults aged 20 to 35. The individual letters will be sent by Assurance Maladie, France’s public health insurance system, and will direct people who wish to have children to a preconception consultation. The appointment is intended to cover health, lifestyle and any concerns before a pregnancy.
People who are trying to conceive without success will also be advised when to seek specialist guidance: after a year of trying if they are under 35, or after six months if they are over 35, according to the campaign information.
Part of a broader fertility plan
Rist announced the campaign after receiving a report from the monitoring committee for the national fertility plan. The plan, which the government presented in February, includes 16 measures; informing people about fertility at age 29 was among them, according to the French Health Ministry.
The government is also rolling out a “Ma fertilité” information portal on the Santé.fr website. Audio messages and posters for doctors’ waiting rooms are planned as part of the campaign. The letter notes that fertility is influenced by age as well as medical, environmental and behavioral factors, including diet, sleep, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use.
Rist said 15% to 25% of couples who want a child encounter difficulties, describing fertility as a public health issue affecting both women and men. The minister has also said she wants to increase the number of centers able to provide non-medical preservation of eggs.
Clayton Ward 
Nicole French