Most women should have at least one preventive care visit per year, starting in adolescence and continuing throughout life. That annual visit serves as the hub for coordinating all the screenings, vaccines, and health conversations appropriate for your age and risk factors. But “a checkup” isn’t just one thing. Some screenings happen yearly, others every few years, and a few only kick in at specific ages.
The Annual Wellness Visit
The Health Resources and Services Administration recommends women receive at least one preventive care visit per year across the entire lifespan. The primary purpose is delivering and coordinating all recommended preventive services based on your age and individual risk profile. This visit typically includes a blood pressure reading, a review of your health history, and a conversation about any symptoms or concerns. It’s also the appointment where your provider determines which screenings you’re due for and which ones can wait.
Think of the annual visit as the framework. The specific tests that happen during (or alongside) that visit change significantly as you move through your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond.
Cervical Cancer Screening
This is one of the screenings that does not happen every year, even though many women assume it does. The schedule depends on your age and which type of test you get.
- Ages 21 to 29: A Pap test every 3 years is the standard recommendation. HPV testing alone is not recommended in this age group.
- Ages 30 to 65: You have three options: a Pap test every 3 years, an HPV test every 5 years, or both tests together every 5 years.
- After age 65: Screening can stop entirely if you’ve had adequate prior screening and aren’t at high risk.
- Under 21: No cervical cancer screening is recommended, regardless of sexual activity.
Women who have had a hysterectomy that included removal of the cervix, and who have no history of high-grade precancerous cervical changes or cervical cancer, do not need continued screening.
Breast Cancer Screening
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening mammograms every 2 years for women aged 40 to 74. That means if you’re in this age range, you should be getting a mammogram every other year. Some medical organizations recommend starting annual mammograms at 40, so you may hear slightly different advice depending on your provider. If you have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, your provider may recommend starting earlier or screening more frequently.
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Blood pressure should be checked at least once a year. More frequent checks may be appropriate if you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, a family history of high blood pressure, or if your readings have been borderline (a top number between 120 and 129 or a bottom number between 70 and 79). Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy should also be monitored more closely.
Cholesterol screening starts at age 20 for women with no known risk factors for heart disease, then repeats every 4 to 6 years. If you’ve gained significant weight, changed your diet, developed diabetes or heart disease, or are taking cholesterol medication, your provider will likely check more often.
Diabetes Screening
Screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes is recommended for adults aged 35 to 70 who are overweight (a BMI of 25 or higher) or obese (BMI of 30 or higher). The threshold used to be age 40, so this is a relatively recent change. If you’re Asian American, screening is recommended at a lower BMI of 23 or above. Women who are American Indian, Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander may benefit from screening before age 35 because these populations have a higher prevalence of diabetes.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Most people should begin screening for colorectal cancer soon after turning 45, continuing through age 75. This can be done through a colonoscopy (typically repeated every 10 years if results are normal) or through stool-based tests done more frequently. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, your provider may recommend starting earlier.
Bone Density Screening
Routine bone density screening is recommended for all women at age 65. If you’re postmenopausal but younger than 65, you may need earlier screening based on your individual risk. Factors that increase your risk of osteoporosis include low body weight, a parent who fractured a hip, smoking, excessive alcohol use, and certain medications like long-term corticosteroids or insulin for diabetes. Your provider can use a risk assessment tool to help determine whether early screening makes sense for you.
STI Screening
Sexually active women under 25 should be screened annually for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Women 25 and older need these tests if they have risk factors like new or multiple sexual partners. All women between ages 13 and 64 should be screened for HIV at least once, with repeat testing for those at higher risk. During pregnancy, chlamydia and gonorrhea screening is recommended for women under 25 (and older women at increased risk), and HIV testing is standard at the first prenatal visit.
Depression Screening
Screening for depression is recommended for all adults, though there’s no set frequency. A practical approach is to screen at least once if you haven’t been before, with additional screening based on life changes, risk factors, or stressful events. Women who are pregnant or recently postpartum should be assessed on an ongoing basis, since the risk of depression shifts throughout pregnancy and the months that follow.
Vaccines to Keep Current
Your annual visit is a good time to review your vaccination status. Adults need a tetanus and diphtheria booster every 10 years. The HPV vaccine can be given to adults through age 45 if not completed earlier. The shingles vaccine (two doses) is recommended starting at age 50. During each pregnancy, one dose of the whooping cough vaccine is recommended, typically given in the third trimester.
What Changes at Each Age
In your 20s, the annual visit focuses on blood pressure, cervical cancer screening every three years, STI testing, cholesterol baseline, and mental health. Your 30s look similar, with the addition of more cervical screening options and continued attention to metabolic risk factors.
At 40, mammograms enter the picture every two years, and diabetes screening begins at 35 for women who are overweight. By 45, colorectal cancer screening starts. At 50, the shingles vaccine becomes relevant. At 65, bone density scanning and Medicare wellness visits become part of the routine, while cervical cancer screening can often stop.
The annual visit stays constant throughout all of this. What fills that visit simply evolves as your body and risk factors change.