The Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Marisol Touraine , published in a decree Sunday, June 5, 2016 , the extension of the scope of skills of midwives. They can now perform voluntary abortions (PGI) through medication and vaccinate the entourage of the mother and the newborn. New provisions concerning 22 000 midwives in practice in France.

A national information campaign is scheduled for June 14, 2016 . The goal : to explain the true role and skills of midwives (because no, they are not only present during childbirth) and recall their level of qualification (bac 5 with a state diploma of midwife at stake).

A measure to facilitate women's access to abortion

The new measure took effect on Monday, June 6, 2016. Provided by the Health System Modernization Act , midwives' practice of medicated IVG should facilitate access to this practice and strengthen the right for women to have an abortion. Women who wish to have an abortion, meet more and more difficulties: 130 centers where we practice abortion (especially family planning) have closed since the year 2000. Fabienne Keller (Senator Les Républicains) had already highlighted this issue when the measure was voted in the Senate last September: "Every year, 6,000 women are forced to go abroad because they can not find solutions nearby within the legal deadlines," she said. . "Allowing midwives to practice drug-induced abortion will improve women's access to this type of intervention in France, close to home."

To practice this form of abortion (possible in the first 5 weeks of pregnancy, ie 7 weeks since the last period), midwives must justify their knowledge on this subject and be "attested by the medical officer concerned". They may also prescribe after the intervention, a work stoppage of 4 days maximum , renewable once.

Midwives enrolled in the vaccination campaign

Midwives will also participate in vaccination campaigns since they can now vaccinate the mother and newborn around pregnancy and for 8 weeks after delivery. An order will soon be released to provide more information on vaccines that midwives can administer. A measure that also highlights the work of midwives not recognized at its fair value in France. Remember that the midwife is pregnant and giving birth from A to Z and that the doctor only intervenes if there is a complication. More recently, midwives have been allowed to prescribe contraception. Definitely, their skills are constantly increasing.