Screening tests and vaccines are an important part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find possible disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. The goal is to find a disease early so lifestyle changes can be made and you can be watched more closely to reduce the risk of disease, or to detect it early enough to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not considered diagnostic, but are used to determine if more testing is needed. Health counseling is essential, too. Below are guidelines for these, for women ages 50 to 64. Keep in mind that screening advice varies among expert groups. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you and 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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Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
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All women beginning at age 45 and women without symptoms at any age who are overweight or obese and have 1 or more additional risk factors for diabetes.
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At least every 3 years
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Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
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All women diagnosed with gestational diabetes
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Lifelong testing at least every 3 years
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Type 2 diabetes
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All women with prediabetes
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Every year
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Unhealthy alcohol use
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All women in this age group
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At routine exams
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Blood pressure
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All women in this age group
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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 reading is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider
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Breast cancer
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All women at average risk in this age group
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Yearly mammogram should be done until age 54. At age 55, you can switch to every other year or choose to continue yearly.
All women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and know the possible benefits and risks of breast cancer screening with mammograms.
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Cervical cancer
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All women in this age group, except women who have had a complete hysterectomy
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Pap test every 3 years or Pap test with human papillomavirus (HPV) test every 5 years
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Chlamydia
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Women who are sexually active and at increased risk for infection
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At yearly routine exams
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Colorectal cancer
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All women at average risk in this age group
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Multiple tests are available and are used at different times. Possible tests include:
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Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or
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Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
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CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years, or
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Yearly fecal occult blood test, or
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Yearly fecal immunochemical test every year, or
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Stool DNA test, every 3 years
If you choose a test other than a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need to follow up with a colonoscopy. Screening advice varies among expert groups. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you.
Some people should be screened using a different schedule because of their personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health history.
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Depression
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All women in this age group
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At routine exams
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Gonorrhea
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Sexually active women at increased risk for infection
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At yearly routine exams
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Hepatitis C
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Anyone at increased risk; 1 time for those born between 1945 and 1965
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At routine exams
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High cholesterol or triglycerides
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All women in this age group who are at risk for coronary artery disease
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At least every 5 years; talk with your healthcare provider about your risk
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HIV
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All women
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At least once during your lifetime; yearly if at high risk
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Lung cancer
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Women between the ages of 55 to 74 who are in fairly good health and are at higher risk for lung cancer
quit within past 15 years
, Eligibility criteria and age limit (possibly up to age 80) may vary across major organizations
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Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT) Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.
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Obesity
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All women in this age group
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At yearly routine exams
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Osteoporosis
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Women who are postmenopausal
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Talk with your healthcare provider
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Syphilis
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Women at increased risk for infection
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At routine exams; talk with your healthcare provider
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Tuberculosis
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Women at increased risk for infection
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Talk with your healthcare provider
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Vision
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All women in this age group
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Talk with your healthcare provider
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Vaccine
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Who needs it
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How often
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Chickenpox (varicella)
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All women in this age group who have no record of this infection or vaccine
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2 doses; the second dose should be given at least 4 weeks after the first dose
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Hepatitis A
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Women at increased risk for infection
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2 or 3 doses (depending on the vaccine) given at least 6 months apart; talk with your healthcare provider
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Hepatitis B
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Women at increased risk for infection
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2 or 3 doses (depending on the vaccine) ; second dose should be given 1 month after the first dose; if a third dose, it should be given at least 2 months after the second dose and at least 4 months after the first dose; talk with your healthcare provider
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Haemophilus influenzae Type B (HIB)
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Women at increased risk for infection
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1 or 3 doses; talk with your healthcare provider
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Influenza (flu)
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All women in this age group
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Once a year
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Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
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Women in this age group born in 1957 or later who have no record of these infections or vaccines
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1 or 2doses
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Meningococcal
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Women at increased risk for infection
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1 or more doses; talk with your healthcare provider
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Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23)
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Women at increased risk for infection
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PCV13: 1 dose ages 19 to 64 (protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria)
PPSV23: 1 or 2 doses through age 64(protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria)
Talk with your healthcare provider
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Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Td/Tdap) booster
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All women in this age group
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Td every 10 years, or a 1-time dose of Tdap instead of a Td booster after age 18, then Td every 10 years
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Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV)
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All women ages 50 and older
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If 2 doses; the 2nd dose is given 2 to 6 months after the first. This is given even if you've had shingles before or had a previous zoster live vaccine.
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Counseling
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Who needs it
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How often
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BRCA gene mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility
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Women with increased risk for having gene mutation
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When your risk is known; talk with your healthcare provider
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Breast cancer and chemoprevention
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Women at high risk for breast cancer
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When your risk is known; talk with your healthcare provider
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Diet and exercise
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Women who are overweight or obese
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When diagnosed, and then at routine exams
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Sexually transmitted infection prevention
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Women at increased risk for infection
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At routine exams; talk with your healthcare provider
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Use of daily aspirin
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Women ages 50 and up who are at high risk for cardiovascular health problems and not at increased risk for bleeding as identified by their healthcare provider
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When your risk is known; talk with your healthcare provider
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Use of tobacco and the health effects it can cause
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All women in this age group
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Every exam
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