The NHS Breast Screening Programme produced a 5-point plan for being breast aware:                                                                                                         
Breast screening starts for women between the ages of 50 and 53, you should receive an appointment for this without asking. You will then be invited every 3 years for breast screening until you turn 71. You need to be registered with a GP surgery to be invited for breast screening. 
If you are 71 or over, you will not automatically be invited for breast screening, you can still have breast screening every 3 years if you want to. You need to call your local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.

What happens at your breast screening appointment?

During breast screening you will have 4 breast X-rays (mammograms), 2 for each breast. The mammograms are done by a specialist called a mammographer who will be female.This only takes a few minutes and the whole appointment should take about 30 minutes. 

The mammographer will check your details and ask if you have had any breast problems, you will undress, in a private changing area, so you are naked from the waist up. You may be given a hospital gown to put on. You will be called into the X-ray room and the mammographer will explain what will happen next. They will place your breast onto the X-ray machine and it will be squeezed between 2 pieces of plastic to keep it still while the X-rays are taken. This only takes a few seconds and you need to stay still. Your breast will be taken off the machine afterwards.


The X-ray machine will then be tilted to one side and the process will be repeated on the other breast in the same way. You will then return to the changing area to get dressed.  Your results will be sent to you in the post. Some people say breast screening is a little uncomfortable and sometimes painful. You can talk to the mammographer, who is trained to help you feel more comfortable and give you support, do not be afraid to ask them to stop at any time.
 

Breast screening if you are trans or non-binary

You may be asked to wait in a waiting room when you arrive. You can talk to the staff if you don't feel comfortable waiting with other people. Private changing areas are available, so you can get undressed just before the mammogram. If you wear a binder, you will need to remove this before having a mammogram.
If you have any worries or questions talk to your local breast screening services contact LGBT+ helpline www.switchboard.lgbt or bring someone with you to your appointment
 

Things to help your breast screening appointment

  • Don’t use talc or spray deodorant on the day as this may affect the mammogram – roll-on deodorant is fine
  • Do wear a skirt or trousers, rather than a dress, to make it easier to remove clothes above the waist
  • Remove necklaces and nipple piercings before you arrive for your appointment 
  • Tell the staff if you have found screening uncomfortable in the past
  • Talk to the staff if you are nervous or embarrassed, they are trained to help you feel more comfortable and provide support
  • Ask staff if there is anything you do not understand
  • Any discomfort or pain you may have during a mammogram should go away
  • If you found the mammogram very painful you may have pain for a couple of days. See a GP if the pain does not go away after a couple of days.

Breast self examination

It is useful to examine your breasts regularly to check for any changes. Take a look at your breasts and feel them, this will help you to learn what is normal for you.  There's no right or wrong way to check your breasts. But it's important to know how your breasts usually look and feel for you.  That way, you can spot any changes quickly and report them to a GP. You may find it easier to do this in the shower or bath, by running a soapy hand over each breast, up under each armpit, and up to each collar-bone.  You can also look at your breasts in the mirror, look with your arms by your side and also with them raised.  


Make an appointment to see a GP if you notice any of the following:

  •  change in the size, outline or shape of your breast
  • a change in the look or feel of the skin on your breast, such as puckering or dimpling, a rash or redness
  • a new lump, swelling, thickening or bumpy area in one breast or armpit that was not there before
  • a discharge of fluid from either of your nipples. if your nipple being pulled in or looking different.
  • a rash (like eczema), crusting, scaly or itchy skin or redness on or around your nipple any discomfort or pain in one breast,  if it's a new pain which does not go away (although pain is only a symptom of breast cancer in rare cases) 

Breast changes can happen for many reasons, most of them are not serious. Lots of women have breast lumps, and most breast lumps are not cancerous. If you find changes in your breast that are not normal for you, see a GP and get them checked. It is important to rule out breast cancer quickly but if cancer is detected, then treatment can be arranged quickly.
 

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