The age that you are when you are first called for a mammogram, and how frequently thereafter, varies from country to country. For example women in the United States are routinely screened every one to two years from 40 years of age onwards.

In the UK every woman who is registered with a GP will receive a first invitation to attend a breast clinic sometime between her 50th and 53rd birthday and then every three years after that until her 70th birthday. This will change by the year 2012 to include women up to the age of 74.

The routine mammogram is a diagnostic test which can detect any changes in the tissue of the breast at an early stage which could be an indication of cancer so, therefore, it's very important that when you receive your invitation that you keep the appointment - it could, literally, save your life!

However, many women who have never had a mammogram feel nervous when they receive their appointment and some even cancel - thinking 'I'll do it later'. You may not know what to expect when you go for a mammogram, so in this article I'd like to tell you of my own experience of having mammograms so that you can see that it really is nothing to worry about.