A benchmark survey on student health publishes its 8th edition. It reveals in France, a significant increase in the renunciation of student care, and more particularly a decrease in the use of the attending physician and the gynecological consultation. According to this study by Emevia, a national network of local mutuals in partnership with the CSA Institute carried out on 6,134 students, their state of health is deteriorating.
Students no longer have the financial means to treat themselves
17.4% of students (men and women) say they have given up on care for financial reasons in the last 6 months. The gap has widened further since 2011 when they were 15% to declare that they did not have the means to treat themselves. This renunciation is even more marked among female students. Indeed, 21.6% of women do without consultations against 12% of men. They are really affected by this health crisis. The survey reveals a drop of over 4% in gynecological consultations, dropping from 52.1% in 2011 to 48% in 2013 among female students. This gap continues to increase each year. With an increase of 3% between 2011 and 2013, against an increase of 1% for men.
Students and care
As 49.5% of students report experiencing financial difficulties during the year, only 83.1% have seen a healthcare professional in the past 6 months. They are now only 53.1% (against 56.9% in 2011) to use an attending physician, 53.5% to give up treatment (against 51% in 2011), 47% to practice self-medication (against 46, 8% in 2011), and 33.1% to take medication given by a loved one (against 33.6% in 2011).
Cédric Chevalier, President of emeVia, declares that: “the increase in the renunciation of care justifies the maintenance of a specific student social security scheme in order to provide responses adapted to specific needs. In view of the results of the survey, we are reformulating our request to the public authorities, so that students’ access to health care experiences a real improvement.“.
