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Preventive Health
 Your Role in Disease Prevention
Getting regular checkups, preventive screening tests, and immunizations are among the most important things you can do for yourself. Take time to review these guidelines for screening tests and immunizations. Use the charts below to remind yourself of when you need to see your doctor or nurse based on your personal health profile. Make an appointment today! Then, become a partner with your doctor or nurse to decide when you need your screenings and immunizations. Share your family history, speak up, voice your concerns, and always ask questions. For instance, if your doctor or nurse asks you to increase the amount you exercise, ask for examples of exercises that are best for you. If you are confused about how to do a breast self-exam, ask and practice until you understand and feel comfortable doing it. If you are wondering if you need certain screenings, ask your doctor or nurse. You owe it to yourself.
Risk Factors
The first chart in this section lists recommended screenings and immunizations for women at average risk for most diseases. How do you know if your risk is higher than average? Check the second set of charts for the recommended screenings and immunizations for women with higher than average risk factors. Risk factors are things in your life that increase your chances of developing a condition or disease. They can include things like family history, exposures to things in the environment, being a certain age or sex, being from a certain ethnic group, or already having a health condition. If you do have high risk factors, your doctor or nurse will most likely want you to be screened or immunized at a younger age or more often than what is recommended. Check with your doctor or nurse to find out if you need to have specific health screenings and how often you will need them.
 Learn more about risk factors [PDF file, 118 Kb]
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Adult immunizations
Immunizations are not just for kids! Adults of all ages need immunizations to help stay healthy. The specific immunizations you need as an adult are determined by factors such as your age, lifestyle, high-risk conditions, type and locations of travel, and immunizations you have already had.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to download the full adult immunization schedule. |
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Content last updated March 1, 2009.
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