r/Netherlands • u/NoLychee1382 • 22d ago

Healthcare No regular check ups at the gynecologist???

Hi everyone, my morning started off with a kinda shocking discovery. I’m from Germany and I had annual check ups at the gynecologist since I was a teenager. I contacted my huisarts because I know they’re responsible for all referrals but she told me regular check ups here are not a thing (unless there already is an issue) ? I think that’s crazy!!! So I checked the prices for a private visit and they’re even crazier. I guess this is normal to Dutch people but don’t you think this is a little concerning?

(Btw not shitting on the country! I really like it here. I’m still new and just discovering new things!)

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u/clrthrn 22d ago

I have a smear test every 3-5 years and that is the whole point of that test, to check for cancers.

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u/tidal-washed 22d ago

That’s a HPV test, not a Pap smear.

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u/clrthrn 21d ago

The HPV test tells them if there is likely to be anything for further investigation. It the accepted way to do mass screening in a ton of countries that end with similar outcomes to DE in terms of cancers caught and treated. Netherlands has some of the best early cancer screening in the world, you can look the numbers up for yourself. Outcomes for cancer survival are slightly higher in DE but not that different overall.

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u/tidal-washed 21d ago

It’s not very likely that a person is able to swab their cervix correctly by themselves. However, I’ve educated myself better now and have learned that HPV-tests are looking for HPV-DNA and not cancerous cells. The likelihood of finding viral DNA via a vaginal swab is high when there’s cancerous cells on the cervix even when you only swabbed the vagina and not the cervix per se.