You can get a breast exam at your primary care doctor’s office, an OB/GYN clinic, a hospital, or a dedicated imaging center. The type of facility depends on whether you need a hands-on clinical exam, a screening mammogram, or both. Most women have several convenient options, and many of these screenings are covered at no cost.
Types of Breast Exams
There are two main kinds of breast exams, and knowing the difference helps you figure out where to go. A clinical breast exam is a physical examination where a doctor or nurse uses their hands to feel for lumps, thickening, or other changes in the breast tissue. This can happen during a routine checkup and doesn’t require special equipment.
A screening mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can detect abnormalities too small to feel by hand. Mammograms require specialized imaging equipment, so they’re performed at certified facilities rather than a standard exam room. If a screening mammogram or clinical exam finds something unusual, your doctor may order a diagnostic mammogram, which takes more detailed images of a specific area.
Where to Get a Clinical Breast Exam
Almost any healthcare provider who does routine checkups can perform a clinical breast exam. Your options include:
- Primary care doctor’s office. Your regular doctor can do a clinical breast exam during an annual physical or a dedicated appointment.
- OB/GYN clinic. Gynecologists routinely include breast exams as part of well-woman visits.
- Community health centers. Federally qualified health centers offer breast exams on a sliding-fee scale based on income.
- Planned Parenthood. Many locations provide clinical breast exams as part of their wellness and preventive care services and can refer you for imaging if needed.
If you don’t currently have a provider, calling any of these offices and asking to schedule a breast exam is all it takes to get started.
Where to Get a Mammogram
Mammograms are performed at facilities that meet federal quality standards. Under the Mammography Quality Standards Act, every facility must be FDA-certified, meaning its equipment, staff, and practices have passed baseline quality requirements. You can search for certified facilities near you by zip code using the FDA’s online database at fda.gov.
Mammograms are available at hospitals with radiology departments, standalone imaging or radiology centers, breast health clinics (sometimes called breast centers), and some OB/GYN or primary care offices that have on-site mammography equipment. When you schedule, confirm the facility is MQSA-certified. Most display the certificate in the waiting area.
Mobile Mammography Units
If getting to a facility is difficult, mobile mammography vans bring screening directly into neighborhoods. These units park at community centers, churches, workplaces, shopping centers, and health fairs on a rotating schedule. They typically offer screening mammograms at no cost or low cost, removing both transportation and financial barriers.
To find a mobile unit near you, check with your local health department, hospital systems in your area, or the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (more on that below). One limitation: mobile units generally handle screening mammograms only. If follow-up diagnostic imaging is needed, you’ll be referred to a fixed facility.
When to Start Screening
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening mammograms every two years for women ages 40 to 74. Starting at 40 rather than waiting until 50, which was the older recommendation, reflects evidence that catching breast cancer in your 40s meaningfully reduces deaths. Your doctor may suggest a different schedule based on your personal or family history, so it’s worth having that conversation.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
Under the Affordable Care Act, all Marketplace health plans and most other insurance plans must cover screening mammograms for women 40 and older every one to two years with no copay, coinsurance, or deductible. This applies even if you haven’t met your annual deductible. Clinical breast exams bundled with a mammogram are also covered under this provision.
If you’re uninsured or underinsured, the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides free or low-cost breast cancer screenings to women with low incomes. The program operates through state and local partners across the country. You can find a screening program near you on the CDC’s website by searching “NBCCEDP find a screening program.” Community health centers and some nonprofit breast cancer organizations also offer reduced-cost or free exams.
How to Prepare for Your Appointment
For a clinical breast exam, no special preparation is needed. Wearing a two-piece outfit can make the exam quicker since you’ll only need to undress from the waist up.
For a mammogram, skip deodorant, antiperspirant, talcum powder, and lotion on your underarms and breasts the day of the appointment. These products can show up on the X-ray as white spots and create confusion with the results. At the facility, you’ll be given a gown and asked to remove jewelry and clothing from the waist up. The exam itself typically takes about 20 minutes, though you may be at the facility longer for check-in and waiting.
If you’ve had mammograms at a different facility in the past, try to have those images sent ahead of time or bring them on a disc. Comparing current images to prior ones helps the radiologist spot changes more accurately.