Instagram has flagged a video posted by 29-year-old Maartje Geertsema from Odiliapeel as sensitive content, limiting the reach of her story about life after breast cancer.
Maartje Geertsema Receives Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Maartje Geertsema received her breast cancer diagnosis in June 2025 after discovering she carried a genetic mutation that put her at an increased risk. Initially thinking a lump might be a cyst, she learned it was cancer while working on a renovation. Het nieuws kwam totaal onverwacht. I was standing on the garbage dump, in the middle of a renovation. I just went on with my life. Until that phone call came.
You get a huge shock, you can’t really describe it. I started crying immediately when I heard the first sentence.
The diagnosis led to a heavy treatment path consisting of chemotherapy followed by a full mastectomy. No metastases were found, but the procedure meant she lost her nipples and received permanent silicone prostheses. It destroys your body.
Sharing the Recovery Online
During her recovery, Maartje launched the website VoordelenvanKanker.nl and began sharing videos on social media platforms including Instagram to break the taboo surrounding the physical impacts of cancer. She noted that many fellow patients struggle with shame regarding their changed bodies. They are not happy with them or are ashamed of them. By sharing her own experiences, she hoped to make it easier for others to talk about their bodies and scars. I am less bothered by that.
Instagram Sensitive Content Label Worries Maartje
Instagram flags certain content as sensitive content, meaning the posts are not banned or removed but may be recommended less often to users if they do not fit the platform’s broad audience experience or are deemed shocking or inappropriate. Maartje expressed concern that applying the sensitive content label to her post sends the wrong signal, worrying that other women thereby get the feeling even more clearly that their scars, their journey, and their changed bodies are not allowed to be visible
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