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Let’s talk about butts, breasts, and cervixes.

Uncomfortable yet? Good. Embrace it. One of the worst things you can do is not think about your body as it ages. Like a car, the human body operates best with routine maintenance.

You probably know someone who has had cancer. It’s the second most common cause of death in the United States. Of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S. That number shouldn’t be so high.

If detected early, some cancers are easy to prevent. They can be treated by removing a polyp or by applying limited chemo.

Breasts, cervixes, and colons are important for reasons that may be less than obvious. They’re private areas where cancer can get a foothold and grow unchecked. Colonoscopies, mammograms, and pap smears, though they may feel invasive, can reveal these easily preventable cancers before they metastasize further and spread.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, cancer screenings are easier to get than ever.

Citrine Health, a nonprofit in Everett, helps low-income adults to access these so-called “essential services” by paying for screenings with Federally-allocated dollars.

Citrine Health’s Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program takes care of clients by navigating the billing process and paperwork of clinic visits. Applicants can enroll for Citrine’s BCCHP program over the phone.

This Tuesday I stepped inside of a giant inflatable “supercolon” in the Citrine Health building on W. Marine View Drive in downtown Everett. I was there to talk to the BCCHP Director Becky Jones.

Becky uses the oversized colon model at health fairs, senior centers and even malls as a public outreach and educational tool. She showed me different areas on the walls of the colon. There were polyps, lesions, and areas affected by Crohn’s Disease, which can be precursors to cancer.

It all looked quite painful. It’s not, though. Colorectal cancer often doesn’t become painful until it’s too late. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the takeaway here is to get checked early. Becky and her team can help.