Health. Reimbursement of menstrual protection: the State urged to keep its commitments

Forcing the executive to keep its commitments. This is the objective of the Elia company, which wrote to François Bayrou to remind him of its announcement to better reimburse reusable menstrual protection . "On behalf of all young women forced by the difficulty of accessing suitable protection [...] we appeal to your arbitration to preserve an essential step that must not be postponed," we can read in the letter signed by Marion Goilav, co-founder of the company, who wishes to point out that this is "a matter of public health and dignity."

On the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, 2025, the government confirmed its commitment to strengthening access to basic necessities for women, particularly by reimbursing reusable menstrual products. This promise was already made at the end of 2023 in the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) for 2024, which included this reimbursement for women under 26 years of age "up to 60% by Social Security" and "100% for people insured by the complementary health solidarity scheme (C2S)."

But it's clear that nothing has been implemented yet. A situation denounced by the company Elia lingerie, which notably offers menstrual panties. A solution already used by more than 60% of women , in the interest of a more ecological and healthy practice, according to the association Règles élémentaires. But the prices, with menstrual panties sold at around 30 euros, are a significant obstacle. The association estimates the cost of implementing the decree at 154 million euros per year in the first year.

A bill tabled at the beginning of July

Period poverty is worsening in France. Règles Élémentaires, created in 2015, revealed in a survey published in 2023, in collaboration with OpinionWay, that the figures were increasing, with four million women reportedly using unsuitable products during their periods. This figure doubled between 2021 and 2023, and is still underestimated according to associations. Worse still, in a survey on European period poverty published in 2025, Règles Élémentaires revealed that 34% of women had given up buying period protection at least once in the last 12 months.

The difficult implementation of government promises led several left-wing MPs to submit a bill on July 11th "aimed at combating period poverty." For them, this involves "opening up Social Security coverage for menstrual protection to all menstruating people," for all sanitary protection and all women. Indeed, the decree does not cover the three million women over 26 who are most vulnerable, migrant or homeless women, and single mothers.

In the meantime, associations are doing their best to help women who struggle to obtain daily menstrual protection. Basic Rules has developed a geolocation app for free menstrual protection.