Healthy living in your 40s

General health

• Get an annual well-woman visit
• Get my blood pressure checked
• Eat healthy
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days
• Quit smoking or don’t start
• Limit alcohol use
• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Ask what other shots I need
• Talk to my doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence

Reproductive and sexual health

• Choose the right birth control if I have sex
• Talk to my doctor about whether I plan to have children in the next year
• Talk to my doctor about when I need a Pap and HPV test
• Talk to my doctor about whether I am having perimenopause symptoms
• Talk to my doctor about my risk for sexually transmitted infections and need for screening
• Get an HIV test at least once in my lifetime

Diseases and conditions

• Talk to my doctor about getting my cholesterol checked if I have a family history of heart problems
• Get tested for diabetes if I have blood pressure higher than 135/80
• Talk to my doctor about my family history of cancers
• Talk to my doctor about whether I should have a screening mammogram
• Talk to my doctor about getting screened for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
• Talk to my doctor about stress, depression, and other mental health concerns