YOUR HEALTH CHECKLIST

Stay on track with your health screenings with these guidelines from Dr. Geoff Elmore of Presbyterian Northside Medical Group.

GYNECOLOGICAL EXAMS

When to start: After a young woman begins menses. First exam might not include a pap test.

How often: Starting at age 21, sexually active women should have a gynecological exam every two to three years if the pap results are negative. A doctor might recommend that a woman get an exam more often if results are abnormal.

Cervical cancer screening: Begin at 30 and continue until age 65, whether or not the woman is sexually active.

STD screening: Women with a new sex partner should consider this.

When to stop: For women who have never had an abnormal pap, it’s reasonable to stop the gynecological exams at 65. But if, for example, a woman has an abnormal pap at 55, she should go in for an annual test for the next 20 years.

MAMMOGRAMS

When to start: If there is no family history of breast cancer, have the first mammogram at 40.

How often: Every two years until age

75.

BLOOD PRESSURE

How often: At your annual exam. Have it checked more frequently if you’re on blood pressure medication, have medical conditions or symptoms of high blood pressure.

CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGS

When to start: Screening should begin in women at 45. If the patient has risk factors for coronary artery disease, screenings can start as early as age 20.