Take Care of Your Breast Health This Month

It's October! The month where stores sell pink bagels,football players wear pink gloves, and basketballers rock pink sneakers. It'sBreast Cancer Awareness Month, and it's been pretty successful. Unless you liveoff the grid, you probably know aboutbreast cancer. You probably know that it'sa risk for ALL humans, not just women. And, while it can be a verytreatable cancer, breast cancer is a big, scary deal: 40,000people die from breast cancer every year in the United States.

What's the easiest thing you can do to find this cancerearly and increase your chances of avoiding it? Get your annual checkup, which should include a breast exam. Current best-practice recommendations also include an annual mammogram for people withbreasts who are 40 or older.

Ok, ok. Checkup. Mammogram. That's all well and good ifyou've got great health insurance and can cover the co-pays for imaging…but weall know we are living in an age where health insurance is out of reach formany Americans and lots of families skippreventative screenings due to finances.

Did you know that PlannedParenthood clinics can provide well exams and preventative screenings,regardless of your ability to pay? Planned Parenthood funding has been greatlyreduced in recent years, but the centers that remain open are staffed by highlyqualified practitioners who offer compassionate, comprehensive care. Do not letlack of insurance keep you from this vital screening. If you can get to aPlanned Parenthood clinic near you, schedule an appointmentfor your well person care!

The National BreastCancer Foundation also partners with medical facilities around the countryto provide free mammograms (and other treatment options as necessary) forpatients who are otherwise unable to pay. Checkthis map to see if they provide services near you.

The Susan G. Komenfoundation provides financial assistance for screenings and treatments ifsomeone is diagnosed with breast cancer. They staff a help line 24/7 to connectyou to resources near you, and have affiliate chapters nationwide. Check their database for yourarea to see which screening and treatment resources are nearby!

We hope you'll take advantage of Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth to not only build awareness of this cancer, but to schedule some medical care foryourself!