Adults | Preventive Health | Health & Wellness

Suggested Timeline for Adults

21 to 65+ years

Preventive care services are at no cost. These guidelines are suggestions for preventive care. You and your provider may decide to do some services more or less often.

See Your PCP For:	When You Are:	How Often:
Blood pressure check	21 + years old	Every 2 years More often if at risk
Obesity (Height, Weight, BMI)	21 + years old	Yearly
Alcohol/Substance Abuse and Tobacco Use	21 + years old	At first doctor visit. (Discuss re-screening frequency with your doctor.)
Depression	21 + years old	At first doctor visit. (Discuss re-screening frequency with your doctor.)
Vision and Hearing	65 + years old	Discuss your needs with your doctor.
Tuberculosis	21 + years old	At risk only. (Discuss with your doctor.)
Type 2 Diabetes	21 + years old	At risk only. (Discuss with your doctor.)
Colon and rectal cancer screen Stool blood check Sigmoidoscopy Colonoscopy	50 + years old	Discuss with your doctor, which of the following tests work best for you. Yearly Every 3 to 5 years Every 10 years
Syphilis	screen At risk	Discuss your needs with your doctor.
Especially for Women
Rubella blood test	21 to 55 years old (Of childbearing age.)	Discuss your needs with your doctor.
Cholesterol	45 to 65 years old	At least every 5 years
Breast cancer screen
Mammogram and breast exam by provider	40 to 69 years old	Every 1 -2 years or as advised by your doctor
Cervical cancer screen	21 + years old
PAP smear		Every year until 2 exams in a row normal then every 3 years, as long as your PAP results stay normal.
Chlamydia screen (sexually transmitted disease)		Yearly, if sexually active and after age 25, yearly if high risk
Gonorrhea screen	Sexually active and at risk women including those who are pregnant	Discuss your needs with your doctor.
Osteoporosis screen	60 + years old (at risk) 65 + years old	Discuss with your doctor.
HIV testing	At risk	Discuss with your doctor.
Especially for Men
Cholesterol	35 to 65 years old	At least every 5 years
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening	65 to 75 years who have ever smoked	Once
Immunizations
Varicella (Chicken Pox)	At risk only, not previously vaccinated or have had no history of Chicken Pox	Discuss with your doctor.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella	21 to 50 years of age (Women of childbearing age), 50+ if at risk	Once
Pneumococcal	65 + years old	Once
Diphtheria-Tetanus booster	21 + years old	Every 10 years
Influenza vaccine (Flu shot)	21 to 49 years old (at risk only) 50 + years old	Yearly
Zoster	60 + years old	Once
Human papillomavirus	Females<26 years of age who have not completed the series	Once
Hepatitis A	At risk	Once
Hepatitis B	At risk	Once
Meningococcal	At risk	Discuss with your doctor.
Ask Your PCP About
Not using / quitting tobacco	Healthy diet	Menopausal health (women)
Family planning	Seat belt use	Risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening (men)
Regular physical activity	Dental health	Sexually Transmitted Disease and HIV infection

Sources:

Report of the U.S. Preventive Task Force, "Guide to Clinical Preventive Services", 3rd Edition, 2003;
MMWR, "Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule – United States, 2009", January 9, 2009, Vol. 57, No 53.

^* Printed copies of information posted on our website are available upon request.

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