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Female Health Screening Guidelines for Ages 65 and Older

Screening tests and health counseling are key parts of managing your health. A screening test is done to find disorders or diseases 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 that it can be treated with more success. Or the goal may be to find a condition early so that you can make lifestyle changes. You may need regular checkups to help reduce your risk of disease.

Below are guidelines for ages 65 and older. Talk with your doctor. Based on your health history and risk factors, your doctor may change the screening advice. 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 up to age 70 who have obesity or who are not at a weight that's healthy for them	Talk with your doctor about how often they recommend screening.
Type 2 diabetes	Those with prediabetes	Every 1 to 2 years
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 your doctor's advice.
Breast cancer	All those of average risk. Expert groups vary on their advice. Talk with your doctor about your situation.	A mammogram should be done every 1 or 2 years. Talk with your doctor about your risk factors. Ask how often you need the test. Ask what age you can stop. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises a mammogram every 2 years through age 74. The American Cancer Society advises screening every 1 to 2 years for everyone age 55 and older. They advise screening to continue for as long as you are healthy and expected to live 10 more years or longer. 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	Only those who have not been screened regularly or have had abnormal screening results before age 65	Talk with your doctor to find out if screening is needed.
Chlamydia	Those who are at higher risk for infection	At routine exams. Talk with your doctor.
Colorectal cancer	All those at average risk in this age group through age 75. If you are age 76 to 85, ask your doctor if you need to keep screening. For those older than 85, screening is not advised.	Talk with your doctor about which test below is right for you: Colonoscopy every 10 years Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years (or every 10 years with yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) stool test) CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years Yearly fecal occult blood test Yearly 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 doctor.
Depression	Everyone in this age group	At routine exams
Gonorrhea	Those who are sexually active, at higher risk for infection	At yearly routine exams. Talk with your doctor.
Hepatitis C	Test one time for those through age 79.	At a routine exam
High cholesterol or triglycerides	All in this age group who are at risk for coronary artery disease	Every year. Talk with your doctor about your risk.
HIV	All who are at higher risk for infection	At routine exams. Talk with your doctor.
Lung cancer	All those ages 50 to 80 who are in fairly good health, are at higher risk for lung cancer, and who: Smoke or have quit smoking, and Have a 20-pack 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 about your risk factors.
Obesity	All in this age group	At yearly routine exams
Osteoporosis	All in this age group	Every 2 years. Repeat as advised by your doctor.
Syphilis	All who are at higher risk for infection	At routine exams. Talk with your doctor.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH)	All those in this age group with symptoms of thyroid dysfunction	Talk with your doctor.
Tuberculosis	All who are at higher risk for infection	Talk with your doctor.
Vision	Everyone in this age group	Every 1 to 2 years. If you have a chronic health condition, ask your eye care doctor if you need exams more often.

Counseling	Who needs it	How often
Diet and exercise	All those who have obesity or who are not at a weight that's healthy for them	When diagnosed, and then at routine exams
Fall prevention (exercise and vitamin D supplements)	Everyone in this age group	At routine exams
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention	All who are at higher risk for infection	At routine exams. Talk with your doctor.
Use of tobacco and nicotine products and the health effects they can cause	All those in this age group	Every exam