Erasmus MC opens women’s health center to bridge gender gap in medicine
The Erasmus MC is launching the Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center on March 7, aiming to close the long-standing gap in medical research and treatment between men and women. Founders Jeanine Roeters van Lennep, Hanneke Takkenberg, and Greet Vink say the initiative is long overdue.
“Women live longer than men, but they spend 25 percent more of their lives in poor health,” said Roeters van Lennep, a vascular medicine internist. “The reason is largely unknown because medical research has always been based on male standards. Even when women are included in studies, gender differences are often ignored or they are placed in a ‘subgroup.’ That’s offensive—more than half of our patients are women.”
The founders emphasize that the disparities in healthcare are both biological and gender-based. Takkenberg, a professor and physician, cited an example from her work in thoracic surgery. “Women with an enlarged aorta are operated on later than guidelines recommend. Are their bodies different, or are they being taken less seriously by doctors? Either way, that delay is dangerous because women face a much higher risk of the artery rupturing.”
The new center will focus on diseases that predominantly affect women, such as endometriosis, and conditions with significant gender differences, including migraines, cardiovascular disease, and autism. “Menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause aren’t just gynecological issues,” Roeters van Lennep said. “They impact the entire body. Doctors across all specialties should ask questions like: ‘How are your menstrual cycles?’ or ‘Are you in menopause?’”
Vink, the center’s director of research and development, pointed out that many symptoms are dismissed as “vague women’s complaints.” She called that mindset outdated and harmful. “Take surgery, for example. If a woman is menstruating heavily during an operation, the anesthesiologist should factor in additional blood loss. But does that affect surgical outcomes? We don’t know—because no one has studied it. Understanding women’s biology requires extensive and long-term research.”
The center also aims to drive innovation in women’s healthcare. More than 40 companies have already expressed interest in collaborating on new medical solutions. “This proves that the Netherlands is ready for change,” Vink said. “We have the people, the technology, and the will. As a true Rotterdammer, I say: stop complaining and just do it.”
