Q. What check-ups and tests do I need and how often should I get them?

• Blood pressure measurements every 1 to 2 years.
• Breast exams monthly SELF exams; annual physician.
• Annual mammography after age 40.
• Cholesterol levels every 5 years after age 18.
• All women who are or have been sexually active, or have reached age 18, should have an annual PAP smear. After a woman has had three or more consecutive satisfactory normal examinations, the PAP test may be performed less frequently in patients at low risk for cervical dysplasia.
• Rectal exams annually over age 50; earlier if you have inflammatory bowel disease or first-degree relative with colon cancer.
• Blood sugar levels varies, depending on family history, personal risk factors for diabetes.
• Skin exams annual mole checks; self-inspection for suspicious growths.
• Dental exams twice a year for check-up and cleaning.
• HIV test if you had a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985, have injected illegal drugs, have had multiple sexual partners or have had sex with a man who had sex with another man.
• Syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia tests if you have had multiple sexual partners or any sexually transmitted diseases.
• Tuberculosis test (TB) if you have injected illegal drugs, have been an alcoholic or a health care worker, have been exposed to someone with tuberculosis, have recently moved from Asia, Africa, Central or South America, or the Pacific Islands, or if you have kidney failure or HIV infection.
• Tetanus-diphtheria shot every 10 years.
• Pneumococcal (“pneumonia”) shot yearly after age 65.
• Influenza (“flu”) shot every year after age 65.

Thomas G. Stovall, M.D.
Dr. Stovall is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee and Partner of Women’s Health Specialists, Inc.