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Adult Health Guidelines For Women
These are general recommendations compiled by the Kelsey Research Foundation. Your care may vary depending on personal risk factors. Please consult your physician for specific medical advice.
| Checkups: Women | Ages 18-39 | Ages 40-49 | Ages 50-64 | Ages 65-74 | Ages 75+ |
| Preventive Visit | Every 3 years | Yearly, unless your physician recommends every 2 years | Yearly | Yearly | Yearly |
| Blood Pressure | Yearly | Yearly | Yearly | Yearly | Yearly |
| Weight | Every 1-3 years | Every 1-3
yearly | Every 1-3
yearly | Yearly | Yearly |
| Vision, Hearing | Discuss with your physician | Discuss with your physician | Discuss with your physician | Discuss with your physician | Discuss with your physician |
| Stool sample for blood | | | Yearly (not needed if you have had a colonoscopy within the last 10 years) | Yearly (not needed if you have had a colonoscopy within the last 10 years) | Yearly (not needed if you have had a colonoscopy within the last 10 years) |
| Colon exam | | Based on family history | Colonoscopy every 10 years if first exam is negative. | Colonoscopy every 10 years if first exam is negative. | Colonoscopy every 10 years if first exam is negative. |
| Cholesterol Screening | Every 5 years | Every 5 years | Every 5 years | Every 5 years | Every 5 years |
| Blood sugar screening | Overweight patients with at least one other risk factor for pre-diabetes such as family history of diabetes | Patients 45 and older who are overweight | Discuss with physician; Offered yearly | Discuss with physician; Offered yearly | Discuss with physician; Offered yearly |
| Mammogram | Based on family history, mammograms may need to begin before age 40; discuss with your physician. | Yearly beginning at age 45 unless otherwise directed due to high-risk factors | Yearly up to age 54; age 55 and older should be screened Yearly up to age 54; age 55 and older should be screened every two years unless otherwise directed. | Every two years unless otherwise directed. | Screening for cancer after age 75 should be based on individual cancer risk and projected life expectancy. Discuss with your physician. |
| Pap Smear | Begin at age 21 and screen every 3 years. | Ages 30-64: After 3 or more consecutive normal paps or negative HPV, continue every 5 years | Ages 30-64: After 3 or more consecutive normal paps or negative HPV, continue every 5 years | Ages 30-64: After 3 or more consecutive normal paps or negative HPV, continue every 5 years | Ages 65+: Discuss with your physician |
| Pelvic Exam | Yearly | May be done annually at the discretion of the physician | May be done annually at the discretion of the physician | May be done annually at the discretion of the physician | May be done annually at the discretion of the physician |
| Clinical Breast Exam | Every 1-3 years | Yearly | Yearly | Yearly | Yearly |
| Breast Self Exam | There are benefits and limitations to breast self-exam. Discuss with your physician. | There are benefits and limitations to breast self-exam. Discuss with your physician. | There are benefits and limitations to breast self-exam. Discuss with your physician. | There are benefits and limitations to breast self-exam. Discuss with your physician. | There are benefits and limitations to breast self-exam. Discuss with your physician. |
| Bone Mineral Density | | | | All females 65 and older | All females 65 and older |
HIV Screening
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that one time screening for HIV infection should be performed routinely for patients aged 13-64 year in a primary care setting unless the patient declines. Repeat screening of persons not likely to be at high risk for HIV should be performed on the basis of clinical judgment.
