1 week Ago
Criticism of National Strategy and Funding
During a series of parliamentary debates on women's health last year, dozens of lawmakers criticized the National Strategy for Women's Health, charging it with providing almost no new initiatives and adding no new funding. Lisa Vliegenthart from GroenLinks-PvdA specifically accused Tielen of shirking her responsibilities as state secretary for women's health by passing some of the financial burden of improving women's health on to insurance companies and employers.
Tielen defended herself by stating that it is not realistic to expect the Ministry of Health to add to its budget by simply handing out additional allocations, and she lamented that future progress would therefore still be possible if research on women's health continued. Sarah Dobbe, an SP Sample candidate, questioned Tielen's understanding of the severity of the problems.
None of the D66, VVD or CDA incoming coalition members expressed concern about future funding for women's health initiatives. Wieke Paulusma, a D66 member, acknowledged awareness. Research into women's health has been sparse. In its recent press release, the Dutch government noted that while women generally live longer than men, they also do not enjoy as long a sufficient amount of time being healthy. The difference in longevity between women and men is historically due to the bias toward men in medical and pharmaceutical studies.
The majority of the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of the Dutch Parliament) believes that women should know the density of their breast tissue, but as Tielen explained, not only is it not possible to provide this information at this time, but there are also no appropriate follow-up tests currently available. MRI scans will be used in 2030 as part of the Dutch National Breast Cancer Screening Program to assess irregularities of breast tissue; however, until then, identifying possible irregularities using standard mammograms is acceptable.
Standard mammograms may not always be as successful in identifying breast cancers in women with dense breast tissue (i.e., breast tissue that is predominantly made up of glandular and connective tissue versus fatty tissue). Also, women who have very dense breast tissue have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Whether or not to notify women of their breast tissue density has yet to be determined before they go for screening. According to Tielen, giving this notice of breast tissue density earlier than currently done may not improve the return of patients for follow-up examinations because the time needed for patients to have follow-up tests completed is high/long. Women can make arrangements to pay out of pocket for private MRI testing; however, the cost may limit women's ability to use this service.
Ms Paulusma and Mr Krul, both from CDA, expressed their surprise at Tielen's comment. Both indicated that women could handle being provided with information about their breast tissue density.
Currently, breast tissue density is not measured as part of the national screening program, which means there are no established methods of determining a woman's breast tissue density within the current screening process. However, there will be a motion filed to modify the existing legislation in the near future if the Members of Parliament can convince their constituents.
