Skip to main content
Black Health logo Black Health
NBCCEDP Tacoma, WA

Where to get a free or low-cost pap smear or colposcopy in Tacoma, Washington

Washington Black women's cervical-cancer incidence is 8.3 per 100,000 versus 6.2 for white women (WSCR, 2022).

See 16 local clinics Call the Washington program

Community health centers in Tacoma

These 16 federally funded clinics in Tacoma offer pap smear on a sliding-scale fee schedule and see patients regardless of insurance or immigration status.

See every community clinic in Tacoma

Need a colposcopy in Tacoma? 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.

Washington's free cervical cancer screening program

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

Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program

Call 1-888-438-2247 Program details and eligibility Full Washington eligibility guide

Other free screening in Tacoma

Breast cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention STD