Breast Screening

Please call us before your appointment to tell us if you:

• Need additional support to attend – for example if you have difficulty with your mobility or have a learning difficulty.
• Have breast implants – we may need to take extra x rays to make sure that we get clearer images around the implant.
• Have a pacemaker or other medical device implanted in your body.
• Are pregnant, think you could be pregnant or are breast feeding.
• Are under the care of breast consultant.
• Have had a mammogram in the last 6 months.
• If you have had any illness that can cause swollen glands in your armpit.

On the day of your appointment:

• Don’t use talcum powder of spray deodorant/antiperspirant on the day of your appointment because it may affect the mammogram – a roll on deodorant/ antiperspirant is okay.
• Wear a skirt or trousers, rather than a dress, to make it easier to be naked to the waist.
• Remove necklaces and nipple piercings before you arrive for your appointment.
• Tell the mammographer 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 not to use any phrases or words that make you uncomfortable or nervous.
• Tell the staff your pronouns, if you would like to. 

During your breast screening appointment you will have four breast x-rays (mammograms); two for each breast.

Before starting the mammographer will check your details with you and ask if you have had or currently have any breast problems. They will also explain what is going to happen and answer any questions you have.

1. You'll be called into the X-ray room and the mammographer will explain what will happen.
2. You'll need to undress from the waist up.
3. If you are trans or non-binary and wear a binder, you will need to remove this before you have your mammogram.
4. The mammographer will place your breast onto the X-ray machine. It will be squeezed between 2 pieces of plastic to keep it still while the X-rays are taken. This takes a few seconds and you need to stay still. Your breast will be taken off the machine afterwards.
5. The X-ray machine will then be tilted to one side and the process will be repeated on the side of your breast.
6. Your other breast will be X-rayed in the same way.
7. You will then be able to get dressed.

Breast screening is often uncomfortable and sometimes painful for some people. You can talk to the mammographer, who is trained to help you feel more comfortable and give you support. You can ask to stop at any time.

The results of your breast screening will be sent to you in the post two to three weeks after your appointment.

If you have not received them after three weeks please call the admin team on 0118 322 8282

You can have breast screening if you are registered as female with your GP and:

• You were assigned female at birth and have not had surgery to remove breast tissue (top surgery).
• You were assigned male at birth and have been taking feminising hormones for longer than 2 years.

If you are transgender man or woman, or are non-binary you may need to talk to your GP surgery to ask for an appointment. For more advice contact Switchboard LGBT+ helpline 0800 0119 100 or go to their website www.switchboard.lgbt or they also have an email address hello@switchboard.lgbt