Skip to main content
Black Health logo Black Health
NBCCEDP Washington, DC

Where to get a free or low-cost pap smear or colposcopy in Washington, District of Columbia

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 43 local clinics Call the District of Columbia program

Family planning clinics near Washington that do Pap tests

HHS lists these as Title X family planning clinics. For care under a clinic's Title X program, which can include Pap tests, federal rules say the clinic can't charge you if your family's income is at or below the federal poverty line, and must discount what you pay by income up to two and a half times that line (42 CFR 59.5).

When you call, ask:

  • Is this visit part of your Title X family planning program?
  • What would I pay at my income?

HHS Office of Population Affairs Title X clinic locator, updated October 20, 2026. Services and hours are as each clinic reports them to HHS.

Community health centers in Washington

43 federally qualified community health centers in Washington 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 Washington

Need a colposcopy in Washington? 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.

District of Columbia's free cervical cancer screening program

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

WISH Cancer Screening Program

Call 202-442-5900 Program details and eligibility Full District of Columbia eligibility guide

Other free screening in Washington

Breast cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention STD