Health Screening Guidelines for Women 18 to 39
Screening tests and health counseling are an important part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. The goal is to find a disease early so lifestyle changes and checkups can reduce the risk of disease. Or the goal may be to find it early to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not used to diagnose a disease. But they are used to see if more testing is needed. Below are guidelines for these, for women ages 18 to 39. Talk with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re up to date on what you need.
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Screening
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Who needs it
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How often
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Alcohol misuse
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All adults
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At routine exams
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Blood pressure
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All adults
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Yearly checkup if your blood pressure is normal*
Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg*
If your blood pressure is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
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Breast cancer
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All women in this age group should talk with their healthcare providers about breast self-awareness
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At routine exams
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Cervical cancer
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Women ages 21 and older
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Women between ages 21 and 29 should have a Pap test every 3 years. HPV testing is not advised.
Women between ages 30 and 65 should have a Pap test plus a high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) test every 5 years or a Pap test alone every 3 years, or every 5 years with hrHPV testing in combination with cytology (co-testing).
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Chlamydia
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Sexually active women, including those who are pregnant and who are:
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At routine yearly exams or as advised during pregnancy
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Depression
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All women in this age group
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At routine exams, including during and after pregnancy
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Diabetes mellitus, type 2
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Adults age 35 and over with no symptoms or who are overweight or obese and have one or more extra risk factors for diabetes (such as having a close relative with diabetes or having had diabetes in a previous pregnancy)
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At least every 3 years (annual testing if blood sugar has begun to rise) Blood sugar should be tested for gestational diabetes around week 24 of pregnancy.
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Gonorrhea
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Sexually active women, including those who are pregnant and who are:
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At routine yearly exams or as advised during pregnancy
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Hepatitis C
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Anyone at increased risk for infection
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At routine exams (once between age 18 and 79)
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HIV
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All women
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At routine exams, including during pregnancy. Pre-exposure prophylaxis should be offered to those at high risk of HIV infection.
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Obesity
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All adults
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At routine exams
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Syphilis
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Women at increased risk for infection
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At routine exams if at risk
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Tuberculosis
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Anyone at increased risk for infection
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Check with your healthcare provider
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Vision
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Women in this age group 1
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Every 5 to 10 years if no risk factors for eye disease
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Health Counseling
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Who needs it
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How often
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Breast cancer, chemoprevention
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Women at high risk
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When risk is noted. Chemoprevention may be recommended after age 35.
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BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility
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Women with increased risk
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When risk is noted. Genetic counseling is recommended and genetic testing if indicated.
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Diet and exercise
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Women who are overweight or obese
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When diagnosed and at routine exams
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Domestic violence
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Women at the age in which they are able to have children
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At routine exams
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Sexually transmitted infection prevention
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Women who are sexually active
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At routine exams
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Skin cancer
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Prevention of skin cancer in fair-skinned adults through age 24
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At routine exams
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Tobacco use and tobacco-related disease
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All adults
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Every exam
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* American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines
1 From the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Other guidelines are from the USPSTF.