Not enough attention paid to women's healthcare in Netherlands; Requires billions extra

Almost every woman will face “female-specific conditions” like severe menstrual pain, menopausal symptoms, or pelvic floor problems at some point in her life. Despite these conditions affecting slightly more than half of the population, healthcare in the Netherlands pays little attention to it. And that costs society billions of euros, according to new research in Nieuwsuur’s possession.

Astrid Vollebregt, a gynecologist at the Spaarne Gasthuis, and Judith Huirne, a professor and gynecologist at Amsterdam UMC, initiated this major study into the social acceptance of female-specific conditions. For the first time, they mapped out where the knowledge gaps are, how they impact women, and what they cost society. They researched this on behalf of the Dutch Association for Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG) in collaboration with GPs, sexologists, healthcare economists, medical specialists, and the women’s organization WOMEN Inc.

In summary, they found that female-specific conditions affect almost every single woman. There is a massive taboo on these types of conditions, they have far-reaching consequences on women’s quality of life, and the costs to society run into billions of euros.

“If more than half of the population is faced with these conditions, it should be a no-brainer that more attention is paid to them,” Vollebregt told Nieuwsuur. But very often, health complaints associated with these types of conditions are dismissed as “female troubles that are part of being a woman,” the researchers said. Huirne: “That is very deeply ingrained among both women and healthcare providers.”

And that can have significant consequences because most of these complaints are not normal and can be remedied with correct treatment, especially with an early diagnosis. “The sooner you detect it, the better you can prevent irreparable damage.”

But because of the taboo on female-specific conditions, many women wait months or even years before seeking medical treatment and are then often faced with doctors who are either dismissive or refer them to the wrong specialists because they lack knowledge on female-specific conditions. So the correct diagnosis can take years.

According to the researchers, four common conditions - pelvic floor problems, cycle disorders, hormone-related disorders, and vulvar problems - cost the Netherlands between 2.5 and 7.8 billion euros last year. But the actual costs are much higher. “Our calculator only includes the healthcare costs after the moment of diagnosis. Costs incurred before that, for example, because women in primary care are referred to the wrong healthcare provider, are not included.”

The knowledge gaps in healthcare also worsen women’s position in the labor market, Vollebregt and Huirne continued. “We expect that if you offer treatments on time, healthcare costs and absenteeism will decrease significantly. That also applies to staff shortages in essential professions like healthcare and education. If you invest money in this, you will earn it back double,” Huirne said.

They advocate for a national strategy for women’s healthcare. “We need to spread knowledge to women and healthcare providers and develop tools that allow them to know: this is normal, and this is not normal,” Vollebregt said.

The two gynecologists will hand over the results of their study to outgoing Public Health Minister Ernst Kuipers. He told Nieuwsuur that he was “pleased to commit himself” to appropriate care for everyone and that it was now up to “all parties involved to work on the recommendation.”