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NBCCEDP Santa Cruz, CA

Where to get a free or low-cost pap smear or colposcopy in Santa Cruz, California

California Black women's cervical-cancer incidence is 10.1 per 100,000, above the statewide rate of 7.1 (CCR, 2022).

See 12 local clinics Call the California program

Community health centers in Santa Cruz

These 12 federally funded clinics in Santa Cruz offer pap smear on a sliding-scale fee schedule and see patients regardless of insurance or immigration status.

See every community clinic in Santa Cruz

Need a colposcopy in Santa Cruz? 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

Call 1-800-511-2300 Program details and eligibility Full California eligibility guide

Other free screening in Santa Cruz

Breast cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention STD