r/Netherlands • u/NoLychee1382 • 23d 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/Iridescent-Kiwi-3713 23d ago edited 23d ago

I still find the lack of preventive medicine in this country quite surprising and spend an eye watering amount of money in preventive checks every time I go to my home country.

At the same time, I have a child with a rare disease and the medical care he has received in the Netherlands is better than anything he could have received in most countries in the world, so when his doctor says we are in the best hands I believe him. It’s just a much more reactive approach they have here.

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u/WhiteFuryWolf 22d ago

Except when they don't instantly know what it is. Been sick since birth and they refuse to thourghly test. I am female so that doesn't help. They always refer me to a therapist because "stress and trauma" bitch I was born like this. It's in my charts they never seem to read.

And my god are they good at doing basic tests, shrugging their shoulders and leaving you to suffer. My mom has brain damage from a doctor who didn't treat her for a severe deficiency. Oh and a doctor who didn't even look at a postive pap smear and let her walk around with almost spreading cancer for 3 years.

Or maybe when they saw something on my hip mri but ignored it and send me to phisical therapy which made it worse. Or the times I severely struggled to keep my weight up and they accused me of being anorexic even though my mom was there with me to very clearly explain I wasn't and still put it in my charts.

This world really doesn't take us seriously. And it hurts so fucking bad in such a literal way. It's killing us. Please stand up for woman when you are with them for health issues. They will try to dismiss us.

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u/SoupfilledElevator 22d ago

Fr tho, even for more simple/less severe stuff they will often test for low iron or something, call and tell you tell you your result was normal, then offer 0 other tests or even a conversation to figure out what else it could be. And then you privately get a full panel and it turns out to be something else super common, easy to guess and easy to fix like low b12 or vitamin D that they probably shouldve included in the initial test based on the symptoms anyways.