Let’s be honest – voulez-vous coucher avec moi it may not actually be part of everyday French vocabulary, but it captures something essential to France’s global reputation. Romance, passion, a touch of mystery – and a festive embrace of sexuality. From the City of Love to the countryside of cheese and glamour, France continues to attract sexual health professionals from around the world who want to understand what happens when public health meets the politics of positive pleasure.
And really, who wouldn’t want to discuss sexual health over a coffee on a Parisian terrace?
From free testing for sexually transmitted diseases to constitutional protections for abortion, France isn’t just about sexual rights. enshrines them in law, practice and culture. Let’s explore what makes France a compelling case study for sexual health professionals and why SHA will be heading there next year for its first study trip to France.
Fun facts: France gets it right (for a while)
Forget laissez-faire — it was France laissez-progressive when it comes to sexual rights.
And let’s talk about satisfaction – about half of women and 4 in 10 men report that they are very happy with their sex life. Since 1992, Reports of masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex have increased. Vive la diversity!
For sexual health professionals, France offers proof that inclusive laws and progressive attitudes are not just feel-good policies. are measurable determinants of better health outcomes.
Access and affordability: Making care sexy (and simple)
Public health may be bureaucratic, but in France it is very hands-on.
These changes have made sexual health care as routine as a croissant run. And the data backs it up: more testing means more diagnoses, yes, but also more prevention, awareness, and greater public policy responsiveness.
Test trends:
At first glance, rising rates of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia may raise eyebrows. However, HIV incidence continues to decline, and the increase in infections likely reflects expanded testing rather than worsening health outcomes. With more testing comes more detections. a sign that France’s strategy is working as intended.
The view is on the rise:
When care is accessible, people use it. And France shows how effective this can be.
Ever-evolving sexuality education: From anatomy to empathy
France didn’t just invent romance – it has been teaching it responsibly for decades.
Comprehensive sex education began to enter schools in the 1960s. By 2001, the government made it compulsory (at least three sessions a year), expanding the focus beyond anatomy to cover consent, equality and pornography literacy.
Since then, the curriculum has only become more comprehensive, addressing homophobia in 2003 and transphobia in 2018.
And now, in September 2025, France unveils fully updated national sex curriculum from kindergarten to high school:
Elementary school: Students learn to recognize emotions, understand their bodies, and develop empathy and respect – the building blocks of consent.
Middle School: Teens get lessons in communication, critical thinking, gender equality, online safety, and how to recognize (and say no to) coercion.
France teaches not only how to prevent STDs, but how to be good partners, lovers and citizens. It is a model of education that faces pleasure, respect, and equality as key elements of public health and we like to see it.
Sexual rights as constitutional rights
France didn’t stop at politics – it inked sexual rights.
The 2001 law guaranteed access to abortion and contraception, and as previously mentioned, in 2024, this right was officially protected by the Constitution. Meaning: no government can take it away. Everything.
While France is often recognized as a world leader in promoting gender rights, some policies challenge this reputation. For example, in the name of secularism, France has banned face coverings such as burqas in public places and prohibited hijabs (and now abaya) in schools and indeed for French athletes competing in the 2024 Olympics. These limitations raise important questions on the country’s commitment to full gender equality.
When it comes to sex work, France adopted the Scandinavian model in 2016. Like Icelandit is legal to sell sex but illegal to buy it. The intention was to to reduce exploitation and strengthen protection of sex workers, although the approach remains controversialwith constant discussions, arrests and constant risk of violence.
For these reasons, France offers a fascinating case study, showing both the promise and pitfalls of policies designed to protect sexual health and rights. Even when the results are imperfect, the country continues to promote ensuring sexual autonomy and well-being.
The National Strategic Map for Sexual Health (2021–2024)
This roadmap is a long-term plan that integrates prevention, education, access to care and human rights under a national umbrella. It’s all about connecting – between ministries, schools and clinics – ensuring that France’s sexual health system speaks with a clear and inclusive voice.
It also promotes a multidimensional view of sexual health: physical, relational and social. A reminder that pleasure, safety and equality belong in the same sentence. A big part of that in 2022 was making sure contraception was accessible.
Why sexual health professionals should look to (and visit 👀) France
Few countries combine public health pragmatism with passion like France. His model – based on data, laws and empathy – turns sexual health into a shared social responsibility.
Whether you are an educator revising the curriculum, a clinician designing co-education or an advocate fighting stigma, France offers something invaluable: proof that politics can be both effective and elegant.
Want to experience it first hand?
Join SHA next year for our first trip to France – where sexual health meets croissants, conversation and cultural exploration.
Besides, learning positive political enjoyment is always better with wine and cheese.
