The Conseil national du sida et des hépatites virales said pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, remains underused across France.
This gap in adoption persists despite the medical community's efforts to curb HIV transmission. The continued underutilization suggests that financial accessibility alone is not enough to ensure public health goals are met, creating a disconnect between available medical technology and actual patient uptake.
PrEP is a preventive treatment designed to reduce the risk of contracting HIV. According to data provided by the national council, the treatment is 98% effective [1]. To encourage its use, the French health system has provided significant financial support for the medication.
Full reimbursement for PrEP by the Assurance maladie has been in place since 2016 [2]. Currently, the treatment is reimbursed at 100% [3]. Despite these measures, the council said that the medication is not reaching a sufficient portion of the at-risk population.
The Conseil national du sida identified a lack of public knowledge and insufficient promotion as the primary drivers of this trend [4]. The organization said the current level of awareness is too low to justify the low adoption rates.
The council is now calling for a broader effort to democratize access to the treatment [4]. This initiative aims to move PrEP beyond specialized clinics and into more general healthcare settings to ensure that those who could benefit from the 98% efficacy rate [1] are aware of the option.
By addressing the knowledge gap, health officials hope to lower the overall rate of new HIV infections nationwide. The goal is to transition PrEP from a known medical tool to a standard part of preventive care for those at risk.
“PrEP is 98% effective.”
The situation in France highlights a common challenge in public health: the 'awareness gap.' Even when a life-saving or preventative treatment is medically effective and financially free, social stigma or lack of targeted communication can prevent the population from accessing it. The push to democratize PrEP suggests that France is shifting its strategy from financial subsidization to active public education to combat HIV.
