Health Screening 

It was not long after the birth of my third child here in the Netherlands that I got a letter in the mail from Bevolkingsonderzoek Nederland inviting me to "participate" by having a pap smear. With my limited knowledge of Dutch language and the word “invitation,” I thought I was being invited to participate in research. I promptly threw the invite into the trash, as I had zero interest in participating in research. Five years later, I received another invitation in the mail. This time, with full understanding of what was being asked, I participated. The Bevolkingsonderzoek is the national cancer screening program. Based on my age and sex, the invitations were sent for the cervical cancer screening program.

In the Netherlands there are three screening programs for adults (the other 6 are prenatal and perinatal screenings). These are: breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, and colorectal cancer screening. Invitations are sent to your home and each individual can choose whether or not they would like to participate in the screening program. The invitations are sent based on the individual’s age, sex, and the results of their last screening. Below, the screening programs that are offered in The Netherlands are discussed. 

Questions, comments, or do you know of an additional NL-based resource? Let us know: info@healthyhere.nl

Last updated: Jun 2025