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Female Health Screening Guidelines, Ages 50 to 64

Screening tests are key to managing your health. A screening test is done to find problems in people who don't have any symptoms. Screening tests are not used to diagnose. They are used to find out if more testing is needed. The goal may be to find a disease early so it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a disease early so you can make lifestyle changes.

Below are guidelines for those who are ages 50 to 64. Work with your doctor. Make sure you're up to date on what you need.

Screening	Who needs it	How often
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes	Those in this age group who are overweight or have obesity, or who had gestational diabetes	At least every 3 years
Type 2 diabetes	Those in this age group with prediabetes	Every year
Unhealthy alcohol use	All those in this age group	At routine exams
Blood pressure	All those in this age group	Once a year if your blood pressure is normal. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than this, follow the advice of your doctor.
Breast cancer	Those in this age group at average risk. Expert groups vary on their advice so talk with your doctor about your specific situation.	A mammogram is advised every 1 or 2 years. Talk with your doctor about your risk factors. Ask how often you need one. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises a mammogram every 2 years starting at age 40. The American Cancer Society advises yearly mammograms through ages 45 to 54 and mammograms every 1 to 2 years for those ages 55 and older. Everyone should know how their breasts normally look and feel. They should know the benefits and risks of breast cancer screening with mammograms.
Cervical cancer	All those in this age group, unless they have had a complete hysterectomy	Primary HPV test every 5 years, a cotest (an HPV test with a Pap test) every 5 years, or a Pap test every 3 years. In some cases, you may be able to collect your own HPV test sample and be tested every 3 years.Talk with your doctor about your risks and whether you need screening more often.
Chlamydia	Those who are sexually active and at higher risk of infection	At yearly routine exams
Colorectal cancer	Those in this age group at average risk	Talk with your doctor about which test below 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 with FIT 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 doctor.
Depression	All adults	At routine exams, including everyone who is pregnant or postpartum
Gonorrhea	Those who are sexually active and who are at higher risk of infection	At yearly routine exams
Hepatitis C	All adults	At least one time. If you keep having risk (for example, you inject drugs), your doctor may test you again. Anyone who is pregnant should be tested during each pregnancy.
High cholesterol or triglycerides	All adults	At least every 5 years up to age 55. Those who are ages 55 to 65 should be screened every 1 to 2 years. Talk with your doctor about your risk and how often to get screened.
HIV	All adults	At least once between the ages of 13 and 64. Those who are at ongoing risk should be screened more often. Talk with your doctor about your risk and how often to be screened.
Lung cancer	Those in this age group who are in fairly good health, are at higher risk for lung cancer, and who: Smoke or used to smoke (quit within the past 15 years) Have a 20 pack-year smoking history (1 pack a day for 20 years or 2 packs a day for 10 years) Expert groups vary in their advice. Talk with your doctor.	Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT). Talk with your doctor.
Obesity	All adults	At routine exams
Osteoporosis	Those who are postmenopausal	Talk with your doctor.
Syphilis	Those who are at higher risk of infection	Talk with your doctor.
Tuberculosis	Those who are at higher risk of infection	Talk with your doctor.
Vision	All adults	At least every 1 to 2 years or as directed by your doctor

Health counseling	Who needs it	How often
BRCA gene mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility	Those who are at higher risk of having this gene mutation. Talk with your doctor.	When your risk is known
Breast cancer and chemoprevention	Those who are at high risk for breast cancer. Talk with your doctor.	When your risk is known
Diet and exercise	Those who are overweight or have obesity	When diagnosed, and then at routine exams
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention	Those who are at higher risk of infection. Talk with your doctor.	At routine exams
Use of tobacco and the health effects it can cause	All adults	Every exam

Online Medical Reviewer: Rita Sather RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Susan K. Dempsey-Walls RN

Date Last Reviewed: 5/1/2024