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Men's Health Screenings - Preventative Guidelines

June 15, 2022

Regular preventive care is one of the best ways you can make sure you and your family are at your healthy best. Talk to your doctor about which exams, tests, and shots are right for you.

The doctor might talk with you about health and wellness issues. These may include diet and physical activity; family planning; how to prevent injuries; misuse of drugs and alcohol; how to stop using tobacco; secondhand smoke; sexual behavior and screening for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and hepatitis B (if high risk); counseling to reduce the risks of developing skin cancer; special risks you might have for cancer (such as family history) and steps you can take to manage those risks; dental health; and mental health, including screening for depression.

At this visit, you may receive vaccines and the screenings listed below:

  • Height and weight: Each year or as your doctor suggests
  • Body mass index (BMI): Each year or as your doctor suggests
  • Blood pressure: Each year or as your doctor suggests; high measurements should be confirmed in the home setting
  • Cholesterol: Statin use may be recommended for some people ages 40 to 75 years who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease
  • Colorectal cancer: At age 45 and continuing until 75, your doctor may suggest any one of these test options:
    • Direct visualization tests
      • Colonoscopy
      • CT colonography
      • Flexible sigmoidoscopy
    • Stool-based tests
      • Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
      • Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT)
      • Multi-targeted stool DNA test (FIT-DNA)
  • Glucose screening for type 2 diabetes: As your doctor suggests, from ages 40 to 70, if you are overweight or obese
    • If you have high glucose, you should talk to your doctor about intensive counseling interventions to promote a healthy diet and physical activity
  • Prostate cancer: If you are ages 55 to 69, discuss the risks and benefits of prostate cancer tests with your doctor
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm: Screen once for ages 65 to 75 if you have ever smoked
  • Hepatitis C Screen: Once between the ages of 18 and 79 years
 

Guidelines as of June 2021

This guide is based on suggestions from the following independent groups, as well as state-specific requirements:

  • American Academy of Family Physicians
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  • American Cancer Society
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

To learn more about what your plan pays for, call UniCare Member Services for more information: