- Abortion legal status
- Legal
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: globalnews.ca, justgutsy.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- If you don't speak French, both 112 and 17 can connect you with an English-speaking operator or interpreter — don't hesitate to call even without French skills.
- The morning-after pill is officially free in France since 2023, but that free access is tied to presenting a Carte Vitale, rights certificate, or AME card — nomads without French health coverage should be prepared to pay a small out-of-pocket fee (typically a few euros) instead.
- If you're a victim of assault and unsure whether to involve police, you can go straight to a hospital or Unité Médico-Judiciaire for care and evidence preservation — you don't have to decide about filing a police report immediately.
- Sexual health centers (CPEF) are a good low-cost option for nomads needing an IUD, implant, or ongoing contraception prescription without French social security, since standard pharmacies still require a prescription for non-emergency contraception.
- Emergency contraception pills work best the sooner they're taken — levonorgestrel loses effectiveness after 72 hours, so don't delay a pharmacy visit.
- Abortion is legal, constitutionally protected, and free for anyone enrolled in French social security (Carte Vitale/PUMA) — but as a short-term nomad you likely won't have that coverage, so confirm private pricing directly with a clinic before booking.
- Wait times to see a gynecologist/OBGYN in Paris — even at private practices — are commonly reported as long, so book (via Doctolib) as early as possible rather than waiting for symptoms.
- Genuinely English-fluent OBGYNs are less common in Paris than French-speaking ones; the American Hospital of Paris is a reliable English-language option but priced accordingly, while some private practitioners like Dr. Viaris de Lesegno offer bilingual care at more typical French private-sector rates.
- If you need care beyond the 14-week elective limit due to a medical reason, French law provides a clear, doctor-and-patient-led pathway (interruption médicale de grossesse) — ask your provider about this route rather than assuming no options exist.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Catcalling and unwanted comments are a recognized issue in Paris, enough that France passed a specific anti-catcalling law after a widely publicized 2018 incident in which a woman was assaulted after confronting a harasser on a Paris street. Several solo-travel sources describe this kind of minor harassment, such as whistling, comments, or being followed and chatted up, as more frequent when a woman is walking alone, especially at night, and note it can be harder to deter once the harasser realizes the woman is a foreign visitor.
Walking Alone at Night
Most central, touristy parts of Paris are considered fine to walk through, but some specific spots are flagged for extra caution after dark: the Stalingrad square area near Canal Saint-Martin and the Bassin de la Villette is one that a Paris-focused safety guide says to avoid alone at night even though it's fine by day. The streets immediately around Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est are also described as uncomfortable for a solo woman, with harassment, catcalling and pickpocketing all reported there, with advice to head straight for a taxi if arriving late. Nightlife strips like Rue de la Roquette/Rue de Lappe near Bastille and the Pigalle area are called fine during the day but rowdier and less comfortable for a solo woman after midnight due to drunk crowds.
Taxis and Ride-hailing
Both Uber and Bolt launched women-only ride options in Paris, Uber by Women and Bolt's Women by Women, letting women request a female driver at no extra cost, a response the companies described as aimed at greater safety, though wait times for these options can run around 15 minutes versus about 4 minutes for a standard order. Official licensed taxis, recognizable by an illuminated rooftop sign, and booking through the regular Uber app are both described by multiple sources as generally safe, with the main documented risk being unofficial drivers who approach travelers directly, particularly at airports, which official guidance and traveler accounts consistently advise against using.
Airport and Station Arrivals
At Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, the recommended practice is to go directly to the official taxi queue outside the terminal rather than accept a ride from anyone who approaches inside or outside the building, since unofficial touts are a known scam pattern. Some advice specifically suggests that solo women skip airport-pickup Uber rides in favor of the official taxi line or a pre-booked transfer, given scattered reports of harassment tied to unofficial pickups, though this caution is not specific to licensed, in-app Uber or Bolt bookings within the city itself.
Practical Precautions
Commonly repeated advice includes avoiding prolonged eye contact or smiling at strangers, since this can sometimes be misread as an invitation to approach, and walking with clear purpose rather than looking lost or hesitant. If someone is persistent, ducking into a café, shop, or other local business and asking for help is a frequently suggested way to defuse the situation. Several sources also suggest avoiding areas known for late-night drinking and drug activity, such as around Les Halles, when alone late at night.
Abortion Law
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Legal Framework Summary
- Abortion (interruption volontaire de grossesse, IVG) has been legal in France since the 1975 Veil Act, which decriminalized it. In March 2024 France became the first country to explicitly enshrine the freedom to have an abortion in its Constitution.
Access Routes
- Settings
- Abortion can be performed in public hospitals, private clinics, and (for early medication abortion) via GPs, midwives, and family planning centers; a telemedicine option for medication abortion up to seven weeks was introduced during the pandemic and has continued.
- Conscience Clause
- Individual doctors can refuse to perform abortions on a religion/belief-based 'conscience clause,' but are legally required to immediately refer the patient to another doctor who will provide the care.
- Reflection Period
- The formerly mandatory waiting/reflection period between consultation and the procedure has been abolished.
- Who Can Provide Care
- Both physicians and, since a 2022 law and 2023-2024 decrees, midwives can perform medication abortions, and midwives can now also perform instrumental (surgical) abortions in health facilities under safety conditions equivalent to doctors.
- Cost And Reimbursement
- Abortion care is reimbursed in full by France's social security system for those enrolled in it (French residents with a Carte Vitale or PUMA coverage), meaning the out-of-pocket cost is effectively 0 EUR for covered patients.
- Non Resident Note
- Short-term visitors or nomads without French social security (Carte Vitale/PUMA) enrollment should expect to pay privately; no standard published private out-of-pocket price could be confirmed, so nomads should confirm costs directly with a clinic before the appointment.
Abortion Time Limits
- Beyond General Limit
- Beyond the 14-week elective limit, termination is only possible as a medically supervised 'termination for medical reasons' (interruption médicale de grossesse), decided jointly by a multidisciplinary medical team and the patient, typically for fetal abnormality or risk to the woman's life or health — there is no fixed upper pregnancy cutoff for this pathway.
- Medication Abortion Limit
- Medication (pill-based) abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol is available up to nine to ten weeks of pregnancy; France allows medical abortion within the first nine weeks of pregnancy, extended from seven weeks during the Covid pandemic.
- Elective Abortion General Limit
- Surgical abortion on request is legal up to 14 weeks of pregnancy (about 16 weeks calculated from the last menstrual period).
OB-GYN Options In Paris
The French ObGyn (Dr. Benjamin Viaris De Lesegno)
- Type
- Private OBGYN practice, English and French speaking
- Notes
- Dr. Benjamin Viaris de Lesegno is a senior Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Consultant with more than 15 years of experience serving both English and French speaking patients, covering general gynaecology, contraception, menopause, infertility, and PCOS, as well as high-risk pregnancy and fetal medicine.
American Hospital of Paris
- Type
- Private international hospital with an OBGYN/maternity department, English-speaking staff
- Notes
- Frequently recommended by expats as an English-speaking option; users note it is friendly and English-fluent but comes with US-style, higher pricing. Located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just outside central Paris.
Hôpital Lariboisière (Public Hospital OBGYN Department)
- Type
- Public hospital gynecology/obstetrics department
- Notes
- A public-hospital option named in expat community recommendations (e.g. Dr. Afchine Fazel practices there); public hospital care is covered under the French social security system for enrolled patients.
Doctolib (Booking Platform, Not a Clinic)
- Type
- Online appointment booking tool
- Notes
- Most Paris OBGYNs and midwives, private and public, use the Doctolib platform for booking; it also displays patient reviews and language notes, and is the standard way nomads find and book a gynecologist appointment in the city.
Emergency Numbers
Police / Emergency Services
- Number
- 17 or 112
- Description
- 112 is the pan-EU emergency number and English-speaking operators are generally available; 17 is the direct French police line. Both are free and available 24/7.
SMS Emergency Line (for Deaf/hard of Hearing or Those Unable to Speak)
- Number
- 114
- Description
- Text-based emergency contact line usable when a voice call isn't possible or safe.
Viols Femmes Informations (Rape and Sexual Assault Support Line)
- Number
- 0 800 059 595
- Description
- National, free, confidential listening and referral line run by the Collectif Féministe Contre le Viol (CFCV) specifically for victims of rape and sexual assault.
Violences Femmes Info
- Number
- 3919
- Description
- National helpline for victims of violence (domestic, sexual harassment, assault, rape); provides first-level listening and refers callers to local support services. It is not an emergency/police line.
France Victimes Network (Victim Support Association)
- Number
- 01 45 88 19 00 (Paris contact)
- Description
- Multidisciplinary victim-support federation covering all criminal offenses including sexual violence, with a Paris-based association at 14 rue Ferrus, 75014.
Alert 3117 / SNCF-RATP Agents
- Number
- 3117 (app or SMS)
- Description
- For assault or harassment occurring on public transport (metro, RER, bus, train); connects to a real-time geolocated response from transport security agents.
Signalement FLAG! App
- Number
- Mobile app
- Description
- Allows anonymous reporting of LGBTphobic, racist, or sexual violence and directs users to relevant support services.
In Person Support
Unité Médico-Judiciaire (UMJ)
- Description
- Specialist forensic medical units used after a sexual assault, whether or not the victim wants to file a police report. Staff assess physical and psychological state, offer pregnancy/HIV/STI testing, and can provide emergency contraception and HIV post-exposure treatment. Some UMJs require an appointment, so calling ahead is recommended.
AP-HP Hospitals / Maison Des Femmes Referral
- Description
- Paris public hospitals (AP-HP) can provide emergency care to sexual assault victims without requiring a police complaint, and can refer patients (with consent) to a dedicated Maison des Femmes for examination by a midwife and forensic doctor plus a psychologist consultation.
Contraception Access
Emergency Contraception
- Availability
- Emergency contraceptive pills (levonorgestrel, effective up to 72 hours, and ulipristal acetate/ellaOne, effective up to 120 hours after unprotected sex) are sold over the counter at any pharmacy with no prescription required and no age restriction.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- IUD As Emergency Contraception
- A copper IUD inserted within 5 days of unprotected sex is considered the most effective emergency contraception option, but requires a same-day/urgent consultation with a doctor or midwife to prescribe and fit it — it cannot be self-obtained at a pharmacy.
- Cost When Using French Health Coverage
- €0.00
- Typical Out Of Pocket Cost For Visitors Without French Coverage
- €5.00
- Cost Note
- Since 1 January 2023, the morning-after pill is free and prescription-free in pharmacies for everyone, minors and adults. Adults are asked to show a Carte Vitale, a certificate of rights, or a State Medical Aid (AME) card to get it free of charge; minors only need to state their age. Visitors without French health insurance enrollment may instead be charged out-of-pocket.
Ongoing Female Contraception
- Implant Cost
- €107
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Methods Available
- The pill, IUD (hormonal and copper), and the contraceptive implant are all available in France but require a prescription from a doctor, midwife, or gynecologist — unlike emergency contraception, these are not sold over the counter.
- Low Cost Access Point
- Sexual health centers (Centres de Planification et d'Éducation Familiale, CPEF), formerly called family planning centers, offer free or low-cost consultations and can prescribe/fit contraception for both insured and uninsured people, including those without French social security — a useful option for nomads without a Carte Vitale.
- IUD Note
- IUD cost varies by type (hormonal vs. copper) and is not free by default outside emergency-use situations; a prescribing consultation is required first, followed by a separate appointment for insertion.
- Implant Cost Note
- The contraceptive implant costs around €106.76 in pharmacies and is reimbursed up to 65% by French Social Security for those enrolled in the French system; it is free for those under 18 at public hospital family planning centers.
- Prescription Notes
- Foreign prescriptions are sometimes accepted by French pharmacies but this is inconsistent and decided case-by-case, so nomads on existing hormonal contraception should expect to need a local prescription for refills or a new device.
Reporting Process Notes
A sexual assault victim in France can either go straight to a hospital/UMJ for care and evidence collection without filing a complaint, or report to police first (dial 17 or 112), after which police can arrange a UMJ appointment. Evidence (DNA samples) can be preserved for a period even if the person is undecided about pressing charges, so a full decision doesn't need to be made immediately after the assault.
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Paris
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.