Health Screening Guidelines, Women Ages 40 to 49

Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

All women in this age group

At least every 3 years

Type 2 diabetes

All women with prediabetes

Every year

Alcohol misuse

All women in this age group

At routine exams

Blood pressure

All women in this age group

Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your healthcare provider.

Breast cancer

All women at average risk in this age group. Expert groups vary on their advice. Talk with your provider.

Talk with your healthcare provider to help you decide when to start mammogram screening.

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises mammograms every other year starting at age 40.

• The American Cancer Society advises that women ages 40 to 44 have the choice to start yearly mammograms. They advise yearly mammograms for women ages 45 to 54.

All women should know how their breasts normally look and feel. stop

Cervical cancer

All women in this age group, unless they have had a complete hysterectomy

Pap test every 3 years or Pap test and HPV test every 5 years

Colorectal cancer

Women age 45 years and older at average risk

Talk with your provider about which test is right for you:

• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years

• Colonoscopy every 10 years

• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years

• Yearly fecal occult blood test

• Yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT)

• Stool DNA test every 3 years

If you have a test that is not a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need a colonoscopy.

You may need to be screened more or less often. This is based on personal or family health history. Talk with your provider.

Chlamydia

Women at higher risk

At routine exams if you're at risk or have symptoms

Depression

All women in this age group

At routine exams

Gonorrhea

Sexually active women at higher risk

At routine exams

Hepatitis C

Women in this age group at higher risk

At routine exams

High cholesterol or triglycerides

All women ages 45 and older who are at risk for coronary artery disease. Younger women, talk with your provider.

At least every 5 years

HIV

All women in this age group

At routine exams. Those with risk factors for HIV should be tested at least 1 time a year.

Obesity

All women in this age group

At routine exams

Syphilis

Women who are at higher risk. Ask your provider.

At routine exams

Tuberculosis

Women who are at higher risk

Ask your provider

Vision

All women in this age group

Full exam at age 40. Then eye exams every 2 to 4 years. If you have a chronic disease, ask your provider how often you need an eye exam.

BRCA gene mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer

Women with 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

Domestic violence

All women in this age group

At routine exams

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention

Women who are at higher risk. Talk with your provider.

At routine exams

Use of tobacco

All women in this age group

Every exam