The campaign launching in France is part of a 16-point plan to raise the country’s fertility rate, which has been declining, as in many other Western countries. The drop has alarmed those governments, which are questioning how they will finance pensions and health care for aging populations at a time when the share of working taxpayers is shrinking.
Britain’s Sky News reported that the French government’s effort to boost fertility will include sending “targeted, balanced and science-based information” to young people, including on sexual health and contraception. France’s Health Ministry said the materials sent to 29-year-olds will “emphasize that fertility is a shared responsibility of women and men.” According to Sky News, the campaign also aims to make France a leader in fertility research and to increase the number of egg-freezing centers from 40 to 70. France’s health system already provides free egg-freezing services for people ages 29 to 37.
Sky News reported that France’s fertility rate, a measure estimating how many children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, stands at 1.56. The average needed to maintain a stable population is 2.1. The Sky News report noted that last year France recorded more deaths than births.
The French campaign also includes a website called “My Fertility,” which offers guidance on how smoking, weight and lifestyle affect fertility, as well as lessons for students in schools.