13 to 18 years

When your children are teenagers, they need encouragement to eat right and exercise more than ever. And they need the checkups and screenings in the chart below.

Jump down to:
Clinical screenings
Immunizations

Health Care Services	When	Description
Physical exam	One visit every two to three years	This is a time of rapid physical growth.
Health guidance	One visit yearly	Counseling is done by the doctor on injury prevention, seat belt use, alcohol and substance use, birth control, sexually transmitted infections/HIV, tobacco use, healthy food choices and exercise.
Clinical Screenings	When	Description
Chlamydia screening and gonorrhea screening	Routine for all sexually active women age 25 and younger
HIV screening	Annually for adolescents and adults at high risk
Cervical cancer screening	Within three years of beginning sexual activity	A Pap test helps detect changes in the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer. If your daughter is sexually active, it is also important that she be tested for sexually transmitted infections.
Hearing screening	Every three years	This screening can help your teen's doctor detect any hearing problems.
Height, weight and blood pressure	During physical exam	Height and weight checks help your teen's doctor know if your teen is growing normally.
Cholesterol screening	If teen is at high risk (has diabetes, is overweight or has a family history of high cholesterol)	High cholesterol is a leading cause of heart disease.
Urine test	Once between ages 11 and 21	This test checks for sugar and protein in the urine.
Tuberculin skin test	If teen is at high risk	TB affects the lungs. It is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing or saliva. TB may lead to pneumonia or other breathing problems.
Hemoglobin and hematocrit	Once between ages 11 and 21; annually for menstruating teens	This is a test that checks the iron and red blood cells in the blood.
Depression screening	During physical exam for ages 18 and older
Tobacco use	During each visit
Alcohol misuse	During each visit
Prevention of dental cavities	Oral fluoride supplementation my be prescribed if your home's water source doesn't provide enough.
Immunizations	When	Description
Td Tetanus, diphtheria vaccine	Every ten years or one dose of Tdap if pertussis booster was not given previously	Tetanus causes painful spasms and may lock the jaw.
MMR Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine	Ask your doctor what is best.	Measles causes a rash, cough, runny nose and fever or pneumonia. Mumps causes fever, headache and swollen glands. It may lead to deafness or sterility. Rubella (or German measles) causes a rash and fever, and may cause arthritis and some birth defects.
Hep B Hepatitis B vaccine	May begin three-dose series if not previously vaccinated	Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. Treatments are available, but there is no cure.
Var Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine	Two-shot series for susceptible individuals Teens should get antibody testing before they get a shot	Chickenpox causes a rash, itching, fever and scarring. It may lead to shingles (a painful rash) years later.
Flu Influenza vaccine	If teen is at high risk Ask your teen's doctor what is best	Flu causes fever, cough, headache and muscle aches. Children with asthma or HIV may have more severe symptoms.
Pneumonia Pneumococcal vaccine	If teen is at high risk Ask your teen's doctor what is best	Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes cough, fever and shortness of breath.