WHEREAS, October 20, 2017, marks the 24th National Mammography Day, and every year, on the third Friday of October, Mammography Day brings awareness to women’s health and encourages women to make annual mammography appointments; and

WHEREAS, Mammograms are quick, medical X-ray exams used to detect abnormalities in breast tissue, and they can be accessed at radiology or imaging centers, mammography clinics, physicians’ offices, and hospital radiology departments; and

WHEREAS, Mammography is the single most effective method of detecting breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms, detectable lumps, or abnormalities can be felt; and

WHEREAS, Detecting breast cancer early can reduce the risk of dying from the disease by 25 to 30 percent, and mammograms detect 80 to 90 percent of breast cancers in women who have not yet manifested physical symptoms; and

WHEREAS, Mammograms have reduced the breast cancer mortality rate in the United States by 40 percent since 1990; and

WHEREAS, Women with a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to undergo a mammogram at least once a year to detect abnormalities that may be cancerous; and

WHEREAS, Approximately one-half of all eligible women in the United States do not get an annual mammogram due to limited access to health care, lack of information on the importance of early detection, or misinformation about the screening process; and

WHEREAS, Mammograms are covered by most private health insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare, and free mammograms are offered at various clinics for women who are uninsured; and

WHEREAS, Uninsured, low-income women who do not qualify for screening services through Medi-Cal may be qualified for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, also known as the “Every Woman Counts” program, which provides free breast cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations; and

WHEREAS, Given that breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women of all races, Mammography Day encourages women to ask questions, seek information from their doctors, follow up with their appointments, and be properly informed about mammograms and the risk of breast cancer; now, therefore, be it