Women's Guide to Health Screenings
and Immunizations: Ages 50 and older

 

General Health		Mental Health Screening
Heart Health		Colorectal Health
Bone Health		Eye and Ear Health
Diabetes		Skin Health
Breast Health		Oral Health
Reproductive Health		Immunizations

Click here for Common Health Concerns of Women
Click here for Men's Guide to Health Tests

Printer-Friendly Screening Tests & Immunizations PDF

WHAT TESTS DO I NEED?	AGES 50-64	AGES 65 & OLDER
GENERAL HEALTH:
Full checkup, including weight and height	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
Thyroid test (TSH)	Every 5 years	Every 5 years
HIV test	Get this test at least once to find out your HIV status.	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
HEART HEALTH:
Blood pressure test	At least every 2 years	At least every 2 years
Cholesterol test	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
BONE HEALTH:
Bone density screen	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.	Get a bone mineral density test at least once. Talk to your doctor or nurse about repeat testing.
DIABETES:
Blood glucose test	Every 3 years	Every 3 years
BREAST HEALTH:
Mammogram (x-ray of breasts)	Every 1-2 years. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.	Every 1-2 years. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
Clinical breast exam	Yearly	Yearly
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH:
Pap test	Every 1-3 years	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
Pelvic exam	Yearly	Yearly
Chlamydia test	Get this test if you have new or multiple partners.	Get this test if you have new or multiple partners.
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests	Both partners should get tested for STIs, including HIV, before initiating sexual intercourse.	Both partners should get tested for STIs, including HIV, before initiating sexual intercourse.
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING:
	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.	Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
COLORECTAL HEALTH (use 1 of these 3 methods):
Fecal occult blood test	Yearly	Yearly. Older than age 75, discuss with your doctor.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (with fecal occult blood test)	Every 5 years	Every 5 years. Older than age 75, discuss with your doctor.
Colonoscopy	Every 10 years	Every 10 years. Older than age 75, discuss with your doctor.
EYE AND EAR HEALTH:
Complete eye exam	Every 2-4 years or as your doctor advises you	Every 1-2 years
Hearing test	Every 3 years	Every 3 years
SKIN HEALTH:
Mole exam	Monthly mole self-exam; by a doctor as part of a routine full checkup.	Monthly mole self-exam; by a doctor as part of a routine full checkup.
ORAL HEALTH:
Dental exam	Routinely; discuss with your dentist.	Routinely; discuss with your dentist.
IMMUNIZATIONS:
Influenza vaccine	Yearly	Yearly
Pneumococcal vaccine		One time only
Tetanus-diphtheria booster vaccine	Every 10 years	Every 10 years
Herpes zoster vaccine (to prevent shingles)	Starting at age 60, one time only. Ask your doctor if it is okay for you to get it.	Starting at age 60, one time only. Ask your doctor if it is okay for you to get it.

These charts are guidelines only. Take your personal health seriously. Ask your doctor
the proper timing of each test and immunization to meet your individual health care needs.