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Healthy Women - Free Mammograms & Pap
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Healthy Living > Adult, Children
& Infant Health > Healthy
Women > Free Mammograms &
Pap Tests

Free Mammograms and Pap
Tests

What
is the HealthyWoman Program?

The HealthyWoman
Program (HWP)
is a free breast and cervical cancer early
detection program of the Pennsylvania Department
of Health. It is funded by the Department of
Health and through a grant the Department receives
from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.

What
services can I receive through the HWP?

Free services for those meeting
the eligibility standards include:

Clinical
breast examination

Mammogram

Pelvic
examination and Pap smear

Education
on breast self-exam

Follow-up
diagnostic care for an abnormal
result

How do I
know if I'm
eligible?

To view
a chart of Eligibility at a Glance click
here.

How do I apply for the
HWP?

Call 1-800-215-7494.
In a matter of minutes you will know if you
are eligible.

What happens if cancer is
detected?

If breast or cervical cancer is
detected through the
HWP, you will
be able to receive free treatment
through the Department of Public Welfare’s Breast
and Cervical Cancer Preventionand Treatment Program.

Why
is the HealthyWoman Program Important?

Breast
cancer is the second leading cause of cancer
death among women. Only bronchus/lung
cancer causes more deaths than breast cancer.

Breast
cancer risk increases with age.

Caucasian
women are slightly more likely to develop breast
cancer than African-American women.
African-American women are more likely to die of
this cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and
Native-American women have a lower risk of
developing and dying from breast cancer.

Fifty
percent of cervical cancer cases are
diagnosed among Pennsylvania women age 50
or over.

African-American
women over age 50 are at a greater risk for
cervical cancer than Caucasian women.

Cervical
cancer is often diagnosed because of missed
opportunities for screening, early diagnosis,
and treatment.

Human
papillomavirus, or HPV, is the primary cause of
cervical cancer.

Cervical
cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women; the
rate is over twice that in non-Hispanic white
women.

What should I do to stay
healthy?

Breast
Health

The American Cancer
Society recommends:

Self
breast examinations

Women
should report any breast change promptly to
their physician.

Clinical
breast examinations

Clinical
breast exams should be part of a periodic health
exam, about every three years for women in their
20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and
over.

Mammograms

Women
should start yearly mammograms at age 40 and
continue for as long as she is in good
health.

Women
at increased risk for breast cancer should talk
with their physician about the benefits and
limitations of starting mammography screening
earlier, having additional tests, or having more
frequent exams.

Cervical
Health

The American Cancer
Society recommends:

Pelvic
examinations

Pap
tests

Women
should begin cervical cancer screening about
three years after they become sexually active,
but no later than when they are 21 years
old.  Screening should be done every year
with the regular Pap test or every two years
using the newer liquid-based Pap test.

Beginning
at age 30, women who have had three normal Pap
test results in a row may get screened every two
to three years with either the conventional
(regular) or liquid-based Pap test.
Women at increased risk should continue to be
screened annually.

Women
who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of
the uterus and cervix) may choose to stop having
cervical cancer screening, unless the surgery
was done as treatment for cervical cancer or
precancerous cells.  Women who have had a
hysterectomy without removal of the cervix
should continue to follow the guidelines
above.

Many people
confuse pelvic exams with Pap tests, perhaps
because they are usually done at the same
time.  The pelvic exam is part
of a woman’s regular health care.
During this exam, the doctor looks at and
feels the reproductive organs.
Some women think they do not need a pelvic
exam once they have stopped having
children.  This is not
true.  They should follow the
guidelines given above.  The
pelvic exam may help find diseases of the female
organs, but it won’t find cancer of the cervix at
an early stage.  To do that, the
Pap test is needed.

Click here for a fact sheet
on HPV and Cervical
Cancer

Free
Breast and Cervical Cancer
Publications:The following
publications are available for order through the
Pennsylvania Department of Health Public Health
Information Clearinghouse.  For ordering
information and to view a listing of
all publications in the Clearinghouse, click
here.

Title

Description

Order

Number

HealthyWoman
Program Rack Card (English)

A rack card
that provides information about the Department
of Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

300762

HealthyWoman
Program Rack Card (Chinese)

A rack card
that provides information about the Department
of Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

320801

HealthyWoman
Program Rack Card (Korean)

A rack card
that provides information about the Department
of Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

320802

HealthyWoman
Program Rack Card (Russian)

A rack card
that provides information about the Department
of Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

320938

HealthyWoman
Program Rack Card (Spanish)

A rack card
that provides information about the Department
of Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

304728

HealthyWoman
Program Rack Card (Vietnamese)

A rack card
that provides information about the Department
of Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

320803

Sunflower Card for Women's Breast and
Cervical Cancer Screening

A card that
explains the importance of early detection of
breast and cervical cancer that includes
instructions on how to do a breast self exam and
guidelines for cervical cancer screenings;
includes information on the Department of
Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening
program, the HealthyWoman Program (HWP)
including the HWP phone number, services
provided, and eligibility requirements

291312

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