Happy Wednesday, Beloved: Let’s Talk About the Mammogram You’ve Been Putting Off

Happy Wednesday, beloved.

Let me ask you something, and be honest with me. When was your last mammogram? If you had to stop and think about it, or if your answer started with “Girl, I’ve been meaning to,” this one is for you.

I know the reasons, because I’ve used a few of them myself. Work is busy. The kids need something. Money is tight this month. And underneath all of that, for a lot of us, there’s fear. We’d rather not know. We watched our mothers, aunties and church sisters go through it, and some of us carry those memories in our bodies.

But here’s what I want you to hold onto today: finding something early is what gives us choices. A mammogram isn’t bad news. It’s information, and information is power.

What Changed (and Why It Matters to Us)

In 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its guidance so that women start screening at 40 and go every two years. It used to be 50 for many women. That shift matters for us, because too many of our sisters have been diagnosed in their 40s, when nobody was telling them to look.

If you have a family history, dense breasts or something just feels off, talk to your doctor about starting sooner or going more often. You know your body. Trust that.

“But I Can’t Afford It”

Beloved, this might be the best news in the whole column. If you have insurance, most plans have to cover a screening mammogram without a copay. Call the number on the back of your card and ask.

If you don’t have insurance, or your coverage is thin, the Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program covers mammograms and follow-up care at no cost for women who qualify. Call 888-599-1073 and they’ll walk you through it. And with so much uncertainty around Medicaid right now (we wrote about that here), it’s worth getting checked while your coverage is in place.

Where to Go in New Orleans

Our community health centers see patients with or without insurance and charge on a sliding scale. Call ahead and ask whether they do mammograms on-site or can refer you. A few to start with:

• Daughters of Charity, Gentilly: 504-207-3060
• DePaul Community Health Center, Central City: 504-899-5437
• Excelth Family Health Center, New Orleans East: 504-240-0500
• CrescentCare, Mid-City: 504-821-2601

You can find more locations by ZIP code on BlackHealth.org’s New Orleans screening list. Many hospitals also hold free or low-cost screening events in October, so watch your church bulletin and community calendars.

What It Actually Feels Like

Let’s take some of the mystery out of it. You’ll change into a gown from the waist up. A technologist, often a woman, will position you at the machine, and each breast gets pressed for a few seconds while the picture is taken. It’s uncomfortable, I won’t lie, but it’s quick. Most visits take about 20 minutes. Skip deodorant that morning, since it can show up on the image.

Then you go home, and you go on with your day. That’s it.

Do It Together

Here’s my challenge for you this week. Book your appointment, then text two women you love and ask them to book theirs. Make it a girls’ day. Go get your screening and then go get lunch. Our grandmothers took care of each other on the porch and in the pews. We can take care of each other this way, too.

And while you’re tending to your body, tend to your peace. This year has been heavy, and stress shows up in our health. If you missed it, our guide on protecting your health from political stress is a good companion read.

You show up for everybody, beloved. This month, show up for you.

Until next Wednesday, take care of yourself.

This column is for general information and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your doctor about the screening schedule that’s right for you.

Sources

• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Breast Cancer Screening Final Recommendation (2024)
• HealthCare.gov: Preventive care benefits for women
• BlackHealth.org: Free or low-cost mammograms in New Orleans
• Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program: 888-599-1073

Denise Tureaud

Health & Wellness Columnist — Black Source Media Denise Tureaud Health Writer • Wellness Advocate • New Orleans Community Voice • Wednesday Columnist Denise Tureaud is Black Source Media’s Wednesday health and wellness columnist, writing for and about the Black women, men, and families of New Orleans with the directness and specificity that community deserves. She does not traffic in generic wellness advice. She writes about the real conditions — financial stress, insurance discrimination, systemic health disparities — that shape Black health outcomes in Louisiana and across America. Her Wednesday series covers the intersection of personal health and systemic reality. She translates peer-reviewed research into actionable, plain-language guidance for readers who have been underserved by both the healthcare system and the health media that claims to speak for them. Her work on financial stress and cardiovascular disease brought new NIH-backed research directly to Black Source Media readers months before it reached mainstream health publications. Tureaud writes with the voice of a New Orleans Black woman who has seen too many people she loves suffer from conditions that were preventable — and who believes that information, delivered honestly and directly, is one of the most powerful health interventions available. Selected Articles by Denise Tureaud Your Bills Are Breaking Your Heart. Literally. Black Men Health Disparities: Why We Die Younger and What We Can Do About It (Strong Enough to Live Series) View All Articles by Denise Tureaud at Black Source Media

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