May 13, 2025

Keeping up with health screenings can help you catch issues early and even avoid certain kinds of illness. A health screening refers to a test that looks for a condition before there are any signs or symptoms of that condition.

Here are general guidelines for health screenings categorized by age group. Keep in mind, your age, sex, risk factors, health status and family health history can impact your risk for many diseases, so talk with your provider for personalized screening recommendations.

Infants and children (0 to 18 years)

• Developmental screenings: Regular checkups that assess growth, development and cognitive abilities

Young adults (18 to 39 years)

• Blood pressure: Annually
• Cholesterol: Every four to six years
• Sexually transmitted infections:
  • HIV: One-time screening. People with certain risk factors should get tested more often
  • Hepatitis C: One-time screening. People with certain risk factors should get tested more often.
• WOMEN
  • Cervical cancer screening: Begin screening at age 21. Pap test, HPV test or both every three to five years depending on age and screening method.

Middle adulthood (40 to 64 years)

• Blood pressure: Annually
• Cholesterol: Every four to six years; may need to be done more frequently with risk and age.
• Lung cancer screening: Recommended for people, beginning at age 50, who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or who have quit within the past 15 years
• Colon cancer screening: Every one to 10 years depending on risk factors, age and modality for screening
• Diabetes screening: Blood glucose tests every three years, beginning at age 35
• Sexually transmitted infections: If sexually active at least annually if there are risk factors
• WOMEN
  • Cervical cancer screening: Pap test and/or HPV test every three to five years depending on screening method
  • Breast cancer screening: Mammography every one to two years
• MEN
  • Prostate cancer screening: Discuss with your provider starting at age 50. If you’re Black or have a family history of prostate cancer, consider starting at 40-45.

Older adults (65 years and older)

• Blood pressure: Annually
• Cholesterol: Every four to six years; may need more frequently depending on risk factors and age
• Colon cancer screening: One to ten years depending on risk factors and modality for screening
• Diabetes screening: Blood glucose test every three years
• Sexually transmitted infections: If sexually active, at least annually if there are risk factors
• WOMEN
  • Breast cancer screening: Mammography every two years, continuing until age 74, on case-by-case basis
  • Osteoporosis screening: Begin screening at 65, frequency determined on an individual basis
• MEN
  • Prostate cancer screening: Frequency determined on an individual basis