You can have a free screening mammogram every two years through BreastScreen Aotearoa if you meet the following requirements:

• you are aged 45 to 69 years of age
• you have no symptoms of breast cancer
• you have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months
• you are not pregnant
• you are eligible for public health services in New Zealand. (If you are not sure if you are eligible to receive free public health services in New Zealand, visit www.moh.govt.nz/eligibility).

Some women joining the programme will already have had a mammogram elsewhere. You will be able to have a free mammogram with BreastScreen Aotearoa if a year has passed since your last mammogram. If you meet the above requirements but have had breast cancer, you can enter or re-enter the BreastScreen Aotearoa programme five years from when your cancer was found.

What if you don't want to be screened?

You do not have to join the BreastScreen Aotearoa programme if you do not want to, but remember it is the best way to detect early breast cancer.

Not eligible for BreastScreen Aotearoa?

Mammograms are of less benefit for younger and older women for a range of reasons.

If you are younger than 45 or older than 69, you can make an appointment with your doctor to be referred to a private radiologist to have a mammogram.  Ask your doctor about the cost of a mammogram when you make the appointment to see him or her.

Why are women under 45 years old not eligible?

If you are under 45 years old, you many be wondering why the free national programme does not include you. Studies clearly show that when women aged 50 years and over are invited to have mammograms every two years as part of a screening programme, their risk of death from breast cancer is reduced by about a third. For women aged 45 to 49 years, the risk of death from breast cancer is reduced by about a fifth.

Research shows that mammograms are not as good at detecting breast cancers and saving lives in younger women, particularly before the menopause. While mammograms can detect cancer in your age group, there are some drawbacks to having mammograms if you are under 45. In this age group, breast tissue may be denser. This makes the mammogram harder to read, and cancer is more likely to be missed. As well as this, women under 45 are more likely to have something show up on their mammogram that needs checking but turns out not to be cancer.

Remember, women of any age who feel or notice anything unusual about their breasts, at any time, should see their doctor.

Why are women 70 and over not eligible?

If you are aged 70 years or over, you cannot have free mammograms with BreastScreen Aotearoa.  There is very little evidence of the benefit of screening women over 70.