General Health Screenings

Health screenings evaluate our ever changing bodies and fitness. As we age, certain diseases become more common. Screening tests can detect diseases that do not have any symptoms until they are advanced. For example, diabetes and high blood pressure are often silent until they have caused organ damage. Early detection of a disease can change its course or cure it before any long-term issues have set in.

Current guidelines for women’s health screenings:
Ages 20-30
Self breast exam monthly
Cholesterol screening every 5 years
Blood pressure every 1-2 years beginning at age 25
STD screening for sexually active women yearly
Pap test every 2-3 years

Ages 30-40
Self breast exam monthly
Physician breast exam yearly
Cholesterol screening every 5 years
Blood pressure yearly
Pap test every 2-3 years or Pap plus HPV every 5 years

Ages 40-50
Self breast exam monthly
Physician breast exam yearly
Mammogram every 1-2 years
Cholesterol screening every 3 years beginning at age 45
Blood pressure yearly
Pap test every 2-3 years or Pap plus HPV every 5 years

Ages 50+
Self breast exam monthly
Physician breast exam yearly
Mammogram yearly
Cholesterol screening every 5 years
Diabetes screening every 3 years
Blood pressure yearly
Colonoscopy every 10 years or Fecal Occult Blood screening yearly
Bone density testing after menopause with risk factors or after age 65 without risk factors
Pap test every 2-3 years or Pap plus HPV every 5 years (may stop at age 65)

Your doctor may determine that you need to have these screenings done at different intervals or different ages depending on your family history, medical problems, or results of the tests.