As a health reporter, I’ve covered a constant drumbeat of headlines about the alarming rise in breast cancer fall among adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s. I have read the studies. I’ve talked to worried doctors, upset patients.

Still, it took me a long time to realize that I myself was at an increased risk of breast cancer.

At 34, I was already overdue for a call with my doctor about screening.

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

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

I felt relieved — I had finally taken steps to be proactive about my cancer risk.

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

Suddenly I got scared.

The truth is, getting screened isn’t difficult simply because of the complex logistics of scheduling appointments, filling out paperwork, and the possibility of fighting insurance to cover early screenings.

It’s also difficult because it means looking at the possibility of cancer on the face.

Thankfully my scan was clean. The experience was positive and empowering. The mammogram itself was uncomfortable, but not painful.

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

“Can you tell me everything?” wrote a friend. “I’ve had low-grade panic about it since Olivia Munn was diagnosed but haven’t done anything about it.”

In addition to high-profile celebrity diagnoses, the latest data paints a grim trend. Breast cancer rates rose 1% per year from 2012 to 2021, and even more so 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 proportion increased by 2.2% per year.

This increase in younger cancers is one reason a large federal task force recently lowered the average screening age from 50 to 40. But that’s just 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 20s.

Doctors aren’t yet sure exactly why breast cancer cases are increasing 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% of cancers are potentially preventable depending on the steps we take – eating well, stopping smoking, staying active and scheduling your exams when they’re due, according to American Cancer Society.

As part of ABC News ongoing coverage for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it felt important to me 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 moving forward, I feel hopeful.

5 steps for women to take

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

1. Call your family members and ask about any cancer history. This can be difficult – people don’t like to talk about cancer. But a diagnosis among your relatives directly affects your risk. It can 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 this is when you’re in your 20s. Some medical groups recommend that some women at higher risk get a risk assessment at age 25.

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

4. If you have had a mammogram in the past and you know you have dense breast tissue, ask your doctor about complementary imaging. Dense breast tissue makes it harder to detect cancer with mammography. If you’ve had a mammogram but are unsure whether or not you have dense breast tissue, ask your doctor.

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

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