Educating ourselves and engaging in dialogue to prevent situations that can harm sexual health

The prevention of STIs, unintended pregnancies, and sexual violence are all public health issues.
In France, despite high contraceptive coverage,1 one in three pregnancies is unintended, and 64% of these result in an abortion.² At the same time, emergency contraception remains underutilized: in 2016, 6.2% of women aged 15–49 at risk of an unintended pregnancy used emergency contraception in the past 12 months^³. Effective
contraception is contraception tailored to one’s lifestyle, emotional situation, and medical condition.

STIs also remain prevalent in the French population. Diagnoses of Chlamydia trachomatis infection have more than doubled (increasing 2.4-fold) since 2014, and gonococcal infections have been on the rise since 2016, particularly among men, for whom the number of diagnoses in the CeGIDD has quadrupled since 2016 (compared to a twofold increase for women)^⁴. It is therefore important to promote the various prevention tools.

Sexual disorders (disorders of desire, arousal, and pain during sexual intercourse) are common in the population and impair quality of life. For instance, 16% of women aged 18–69 have experienced painful intercourse (dyspareunia) in the past 12 months, and among these women, 2% experience it regularly⁵. We must help demystify the issue and encourage people to seek medical advice.

The goal of this campaign and the tools made available is to enable the general public, through reliable information, to make informed and responsible decisions regarding their sexual health, particularly via the website QuestionSexualite.fr.

Three new brochures

To support healthcare professionals in their work and assist organizations, Santé publique France offers a wide range of documents that can be ordered free of charge on the Agency’s website.

Two brochures providing extensive information:

• on various STIs: symptoms, treatment, prevention, screening, and advice.

• on different methods of contraception to help you choose the one best suited to your needs. It also provides practical information on where, how, and at what cost to obtain them.

An informational brochure on sexuality accessible to all audiences, written in large print and easy to understand. Also available in Braille, it addresses sexuality in all its dimensions: the body, feelings, desire, pleasure, respect for partners, violence, discrimination, contraception, and STIs.

A campaign to normalize questions related to sexuality

From May 22 to June 25, 2023, Santé publique France is launching a major information campaign on sexuality: “Everyone has questions about sexuality, and everyone can find answers at QuestionSexualite.fr.”

The campaign has a lighthearted tone, featuring people lost in thought, voicing their questions about sexuality aloud in everyday—and unexpected!—situations.

Available on TV, digital platforms, and billboards, the campaign addresses topics such as contraception, STIs, consent, and sexual health issues.

Additionally, posters will be distributed nationwide through Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and local partners during Sexual Health Week.

• Prevention tools and materials made available to healthcare professionals and the general public