Free Breast Exams During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Mobile County Health Department is offering free breast exams during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Exams will be available at the Women’s Center, 248 Cox St., on October 9, 16, 23, and 30. Nurse practitioners will conduct the exams and teach women how to perform self-breast exams. Vouchers for free mammograms will be available for participants who meet certain criteria. Clinic hours will be 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 251.690.8889.

Free breast exam clinics will also be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the following locations:
- Semmes Clinic, 3810 Wulff Rd. E. (Oct. 3)
- Citronelle Clinic, 19250 N. Mobile St. (Oct. 10)
- Downtown Clinic, 251 N. Bayou St. (Oct. 17)
- Eight Mile Clinic, 4555 St. Stephens Rd. (Oct. 24)

Risk Factors For Breast Cancer
Source: www.nbcam.org

•Gender: The highest risk factor for breast cancer is being female; the disease is about 100 times more common among women.
•Age: The risk of breast cancer increases as a woman grows older. The risk is especially high for women age 60 and older. Breast cancer is uncommon in women younger than age 35, but it does occur. There is some evidence to suggest young African American women are at greater risk for breast cancer than young Caucasian women.
•Personal History: Women who have had breast cancer and women with a history of breast disease (not cancer, but a condition that may predispose them to cancer) may develop it again.
•Family History: The risk of developing breast cancer increases for a woman whose mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives have had the disease. It is important to know how old they were at the time they were diagnosed.