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NBCCEDP San Mateo, CA

Where to get a free or low-cost pap smear or colposcopy in San Mateo, California

Black women die from cervical cancer at roughly twice the rate of white women (CDC WONDER, 2020-2022 three-year average), a disease that is nearly fully preventable with screening and HPV vaccination.

See 7 local clinics Call the California program

How to get a Pap smear free or at low cost in San Mateo

If you're uninsured or under-insured, start with Every Woman Counts (EWC). If you don't qualify, the 7 community health centers below charge by income.

  • Every Woman Counts (EWC)

    California's program for residents who qualify.

    Call 800-511-2300 Check eligibility

  • 7 community health centers in San Mateo

    Federally qualified health centers, required to see you regardless of ability to pay, with fees on a sliding scale by income.

    See the list

When you call, ask

  • "Do you offer a Pap smear at this location?"
  • "What would it cost me without insurance, on your sliding scale?"

Community health centers in San Mateo

7 federally qualified community health centers in San Mateo charge on a sliding scale by income and see patients regardless of insurance. Call ahead to confirm the site offers a Pap smear and to book.

See every community clinic in San Mateo

Need a colposcopy in San Mateo? Start with the same clinics

If your pap smear or HPV test comes back abnormal, the usual next step is a colposcopy: a 10 to 15 minute exam where a clinician looks at the cervix with a magnifying scope and, if needed, takes a small biopsy. It is how abnormal cells get diagnosed before they can become cancer.

The community health centers listed above provide pap smear screening, and many perform colposcopy on-site or refer you to a partner clinic that does. Call and ask two questions: whether they do colposcopy on-site, and whether you qualify for NBCCEDP coverage, which pays for diagnostic follow-up after an abnormal result, not just the screening itself.

California's free cervical cancer screening program

If you are uninsured or under-insured, California runs a NBCCEDP program that covers pap smear and follow-up at no cost for residents who qualify.

Every Woman Counts (EWC)

Call 800-511-2300 Program details and eligibility Full California eligibility guide

Other free screening in San Mateo

Breast cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention STD