France to offer free birth control to all women up to 25

France will offer free birth control to all women up to age 25 starting next year, the health minister announced Thursday.

The measure will also include free medical visits about contraception, and will start Jan. 1, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced on France-2 television.

Birth control was already free for girls up to 18 years old, but is being expanded to all women up to 25.

Veran said young women are using contraception less than they used to, and that the main reason is financial. He didn't cite specific data. France's state health care system covers some birth control costs but not all of them.

“It's intolerable that women aren't able to to protect themselves, aren't able to use contraception if they make that choice, because it would cost too much,” Veran said.

He didn't address contraception methods for men.