Health Screening Guidelines, Women Ages 18 to 39

Screening tests and health counseling are a key part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find disorders or diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. Screening tests are not used to diagnose. They are used to find out if more testing is needed. The goal may be to find a disease early so it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a disease early so you can make lifestyle changes. You may need regular checkups to help you reduce your risk of disease.

Below are guidelines for women ages 18 to 39. Guidelines for some conditions can vary by expert group depending on age, risk, and other factors. Talk with your healthcare provider. Make sure you’re up-to-date on what you need.

We understand gender is a spectrum. We may use gendered terms to talk about anatomy and health risk. Please use this information in a way that works best for you and your healthcare provider as you talk about your care.

Screening	Who needs it	How often
Alcohol misuse	All adults age 18 and older	At routine exams
Blood pressure	All adults age 18 and older	Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
Cervical cancer	There are 2 screening tests to look for cervical cancer, a Pap test and an HPV test. Guidelines vary depending on expert group. The American College of Gynecologists (ACOG) advises starting screening at age 21. Screening varies depending on your age and risk. Talk with your healthcare provider.	ACOG advises women who are 21 to 29 to have a Pap test every 3 years. Women ages 25 to 29 may have only HPV testing, but ACOG prefers Pap tests. American Cancer Society advises HPV testing starting at age 25, if you are at average risk. Talk with your provider about your risk. Women ages 30 to 65 have more options. They may have a Pap and HPV test every 5 years. Or they can have only a Pap test every 3 years or only an HPV test every 5 years.
Chlamydia	Women who are sexually active. This includes those who are pregnant or who are: Age 24 or younger Age 25 or older at higher risk for infection	At routine yearly exams If pregnant, during early prenatal care visit. Repeat in third trimester for women at higher risk.

Screening	Who needs it	How often
Depression	All women in this age group	Regularly, which may be at routine exams
Diabetes mellitus, type 2	Women with no symptoms who are overweight or obese and have 1 or more other risk factors for diabetes	At least every 3 years starting at age 35. Testing in pregnancy after the 24th week unless higher risk factors are present.
Gonorrhea	Women who are sexually active. This includes those who are pregnant or who are: Age 24 or younger Age 25 or older at higher risk for infection	At routine yearly exams
Hepatitis C	All adults age 18 and older	At least once
HIV	All women	Talk with your healthcare provider. The CDC recommends testing at least once for all people between age 13 and 64. For others at risk, testing may be advised yearly.
Obesity	All women in this age group	At routine exams
Syphilis	Women who are at higher risk for infection. Talk with your healthcare provider.	Depends on risk and pregnancy status. All pregnant people will be screened during their first prenatal visit. Non-pregnant women will be screened if at increased risk.
Tuberculosis	Women who are at higher risk for infection. Talk with your healthcare provider.	Depends on risk. Talk with your healthcare provider.
Vision	All women in this age group	At least every 2 years for those at low risk. Those at increased risk may be advised to be tested yearly.

Health counseling	Who needs it	How often
BRCA gene mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer risk	Women at higher risk for a gene mutation	When your risk is known
Breast cancer and chemoprevention	Women at high risk for breast cancer	When your risk is known
Diet and exercise	Women who are overweight or obese	When diagnosed, and then at routine exams
Intimate partner violence	All women in this age group	Regularly, which may be at routine exams or by situation
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention	Women who are sexually active	At routine exams
Skin cancer	Women with pale skin	At routine exams
Use of tobacco and the health effects it can cause	All women in this age group	Regularly at routine visits

Online Medical Reviewer: L Renee Watson MSN RNRita Sather RNStacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN

Date Last Reviewed: 3/1/2024

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Health Screening Guidelines, Women Ages 18 to 39

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