Gender diversity
Participation of transgender people and people with a gender registration X/O
Population Screening Netherlands sends the invitations for the population screening programme for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer on the basis of the data as known by the civil registry at the municipality.
All people between the ages of 55 and 75 are invited to participate in the colorectal cancer screening programme, regardless of gender registration.
Transgender people and people with a gender registration X/O who, based on physical characteristics and age, are eligible for the population screening programme for cervical cancer (from the age of 30) and breast cancer (from the age of 50) can participate. The folder 'Your gender registration and the population screening for cancer' has been developed for this purpose. This folder contains information about participation in the population screening programme for cervical cancer and breast cancer for transgender people and people with an X/O gender registration.
Submit a wish to participate
Gender registration change
If you change your details at the municipality, we would like to know whether you still want to participate in the population screening programme for cervical cancer and/or breast cancer.
Sex registration X/O
If you are registered with the municipality with an X/O gender registration, we would like to know whether you want to participate in the population screening programme for cervical cancer and/or breast cancer. Click on the link below to submit your participation request.
Frequently asked questions - General
Frequently asked questions - breast cancer screening programme
Are you registered as a woman?
Then you will receive your first invitation around the age of 50.
Are you between 50 and 75 years old and have you had an administrative gender change to female?
Then you will receive an invitation as soon as possible.
Are you registered as a man or as an X/O?
Then you must register yourself. This is possible after the age of 50. Have you registered? An employee of Bevolkingsonderzoek Nederland will contact you to complete your registration and discuss where and when you can go.
People under 50 often have a lot of glandular and connective tissue in their breasts. This tissue is more sensitive to radiation. This tissue also makes it more difficult to assess X-rays of the breasts.
People over 75 are more likely to have breast cancer that someone would not have had during their lifetime. In addition, people over 75 are more likely to have other diseases.
The mammography unit is accessible to everyone. We make no distinction. If you still want to have the screening done in the hospital, the costs are for your own account.
If you do not have breast tissue, it is not useful to participate. If in doubt, consult your GP.
If breast prostheses have been placed in the breasts, you can also participate in the population screening programme. It is recommended not to participate earlier than 6 months after placement of the prostheses. The presence of prostheses can be reported to the employee in advance of the screening. This allows the pressure that is applied during the screening to be taken into account.
The information leaflet for transgender people explains how you can register for the first time. This is done by telephone. During this conversation, a number of questions are asked to determine whether you are undergoing a gender reassignment procedure or have undergone one and can therefore participate. In addition, your age is of course requested, because only people between the ages of 50 and 75 can participate in the breast cancer screening programme.
The employees of Bevolkingsonderzoek Nederland who work at the information line are specially trained to properly address you as a transgender person. If you are not satisfied with this, or have not been approached in the screening center in the way you wanted, they would like to hear from you in order to improve this service. You can find the contact details of Bevolkingsonderzoek Nederland at www.bevolkingsonderzoeknederland.nl.
In the scientific literature it can be found that people who received hormone therapy for breast development do not have a higher risk of breast cancer. You can still participate in the breast cancer screening programme if you are of the age to participate, so between 50 and 75 years.
You are free to choose when, after starting your hormone therapy for breast growth, you register for the population screening programme. The advice is to do this after 1 year after starting hormone therapy, because most people's breast growth has stabilized by then. Always adhere to the age limits of the breast cancer screening programme: between 50 and 75 years.
If you still have breast tissue or already have breast tissue, you can participate in the breast cancer screening pogramme. This is also possible with a small cup, such as AAA. It may sometimes happen that the breasts cannot be photographed in both positions (from the side and from above), but the photos can still be assessed by the radiologist.
After mastectomy (the removal of the breasts) it is no longer useful and also no longer possible to participate. If you are receiving hormone therapy to develop breast tissue, the advice is to participate as soon as the breast growth has stabilized. In general, you can take a period of 1 year after starting hormone therapy for this. The age at which you can participate is 50 years. And you can participate until the age of 75.