The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides the following guidelines for health screenings for women. Individual screening guidelines vary according to your personal health history or risk factors. For additional information, contact a primary care physician or an obstetrician/gynecologist affiliated with North Shore Medical Center:

SCREENINGS:

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Testing:
Annually for all sexually active adolescents

Preventive Care:
First visit to an OB/GYN at age 13-15

Pap Test:
All women who are or have been sexually active should have an annual Pap test and pelvic examination. After a woman has had three or more consecutive, satisfactory annual exams with normal findings, the Pap test may be performed less frequently in a low-risk woman at the discretion of the woman and her physician. More frequent Pap tests may be required for a woman with high-risk factors (including multiple sex partners, STDs, alcohol and drug abuse, or a history of cervical, vaginal, or vulvar cancer).

Pelvic Exam:
Annually when sexually active or by age 18

Blood Pressure

Clinical Breast Exam

Mammography:
Every 1 to 2 years for women ages 40-49 and annually beginning at age 50. Women are encouraged to perform monthly breast self-exams. Click to find out  where to get mammograms at NSMC.

Beginning at age 45

Cholesterol:
Check every 5 years. Check every 3 to 5 years beginning at age 65 and before age 75

Fasting Glucose Test:
Every 3 years from age 45 onwards

Colon Cancer Screening:
Beginning at age 50, yearly fecal occult blood testing plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or colonoscopy every 10 years or double contrast barium enema (DCBE) every 5 10years, with digital rectal examination performed at the time of each screening sigmoidoscopy,
colonoscopy, or DCBE

Urinalysis