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NBCCEDP Lake Charles, LA

Where to get a free or low-cost pap smear or colposcopy in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Louisiana has the highest Black-woman cervical-cancer incidence in the country, 15.1 per 100,000 (Louisiana Tumor Registry, 2022).

See 5 local clinics Call the Louisiana program

Community health centers in Lake Charles

These 5 federally funded clinics in Lake Charles offer pap smear on a sliding-scale fee schedule and see patients regardless of insurance or immigration status.

See every community clinic in Lake Charles

Need a colposcopy in Lake Charles? 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.

Louisiana's free cervical cancer screening program

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

Louisiana Breast and Cervical Health Program

Call 1-888-599-1073 Program details and eligibility Full Louisiana eligibility guide

Other free screening in Lake Charles

Breast cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention STD