You simply stand in front of an x-ray machine. The person who takes the x-rays places your breasts between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable for a few seconds, but it helps get a clear picture. You will have x-rays taken of each breast.
Some women feel a little embarassed.
You will wear a cover-up for privacy except during the mammogram. A mammogram takes less time than most checkups with your doctor. If all women over 50 followed guidelines for regular annual mammograms, the number of deaths could be reduced by 30 percent and the lives of 13,000 women could be saved annually, according to the American Cancer Society. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and can break easily. There are often no symptoms until a bone breaks or the spine becomes curved or painful.