As a medical and health reporter, I’ve covered a steady stream of headlines about the alarming rise of breast cancer cases among the adults at 20, 30 and 40 years old. I read the studies. I spoke to concerned doctors, distraught patients.

Even so, it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I myself had an increased risk of breast cancer.

By age 34, I was already overdue for a conversation with my doctor about screening.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s. Thankfully, she’s been in remission for more than a decade, but her years-long battle is still a hauntingly fresh memory.

After doing some research, I enrolled in a program for breast cancer in younger adults screening at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. After an initial consultation, I was scheduled for a mammogram and genetic screening.

I felt relieved — I was finally taking steps to be proactive about my cancer risk.

But on the day of the mammogram, I saw a woman in the waiting room wearing a hospital gown and a bald head. She looked young. And she looked sick.

Suddenly, I was scared.

The truth is that screening isn’t just difficult because of the complex logistics of scheduling appointments, filling out paperwork, and the prospect of fighting with insurance to cover early checks.

It’s also hard because it means staring the possibility of cancer in the face.

Luckily my scan was clean. The experience was positive and encouraging. The mammogram itself was uncomfortable but not painful.

I found out that I have dense breast tissue, which means I may need additional imaging, such as MRIs and ultrasounds, to detect potential cancers early.

When I posted about my mammogram experience on Instagram, I was inundated with a remarkable number of comments from friends just like me: scared by the headlines but not sure where to start.

“Can you tell me everything?” wrote a friend. “We’ve had a low level of panic about it since Olivia Munn was diagnosed, but we haven’t done anything about it.”

Beyond high-profile celebrity diagnoses, recent data paint a grim trend. Breast cancer rates rose by 1% a year from 2012 to 2021, and even more strongly for women under 50, according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society.

The sharpest increase was seen in women in their 20s, whose rates rose by 2.2% per year.

This increase in younger-onset cancers is one reason a major federal task force recently lowered the average screening age from 50 to 40. But this is only a guideline for “average risk” women.

Many women are at higher than average risk and may need to start screening in their 30s, or even in their 20s.

Doctors aren’t yet sure why breast cancer is on the rise in younger adults, whether it’s ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, lifestyle factors, or a combination of many of these factors.

But studies show that about 40 percent of cancers can be prevented by actions we take — eating well, quitting smoking, staying active and getting your checkups when it’s time, conformable American Cancer Society.

As part of ABC News continuous coverage for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it important to step outside of my normal role as a reporter. I want to remind people that anyone — including a health and medical reporter — can easily feel overwhelmed by the process of starting breast cancer screenings.

Now, on the other side of my first mammogram and with a strong plan to move forward, I feel hopeful.

5 steps women must take

Based on my personal experience and advice from CDChere are five steps you can take today if you are concerned about your risk of breast cancer.

1. Call your family members and ask about any history of cancer. It might be hard — people don’t like to talk about cancer. But a diagnosis among your blood relatives directly influences your risk. It could mean the difference between insurance deciding to cover preventive screening or not.

2. Armed with this information, ask your primary care physician or gynecologist for a breast cancer risk assessment. The time to start thinking about it is when you’re in your 20s. Some medical groups recommend that certain women at higher risk have a risk assessment by age 25.

3. If you know you are at high risk, find a schedule which specializes in the early detection of cancer. Many large cancer centers have them. You can also talk to your primary care physician to get a referral. And there are federal programs for low-income or underinsured Americans to get screened early.

4. If you have had a mammogram in the past and know you have dense breast tissue, ask your doctor about additional imaging. Dense breast tissue makes it difficult to detect cancer using a mammogram. If you’ve had a mammogram but aren’t sure whether or not you have dense breast tissue, talk to your doctor.

5. Know your own breasts. You may not need a mammogram or other medical tests before age 40. But you should never ignore a new symptom, even if you are young. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any lumps, skin changes, nipple changes, or changes in the shape or size of your breasts.

Sony Salzman is a health and medical reporter in the ABC News Medical Unit.