Some of the most valuable screenings are also the easiest: a single blood test or one quick ultrasound. They’re often overlooked because they don’t come around every year.
Most screenings come with a schedule: every year, every three years, every ten. These three are different. For most adults, they’re done once, or only occasionally, and then checked off for good.
Hepatitis C
Who: the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening all adults aged 18 to 79, and the CDC recommends at least one test for all adults.
Why: many people with hepatitis C don’t know they have it. Untreated, it can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. Today’s antiviral pills cure most infections in eight to twelve weeks.
How often: usually once. People with ongoing risk, such as current injection drug use, should be tested regularly.
HIV
Who: the Task Force recommends HIV screening for adolescents and adults aged 15 to 65, and for younger and older people at increased risk. Pregnant people should be tested during every pregnancy.
Why: early treatment keeps people healthy and, when the virus becomes undetectable, prevents sexual transmission.
How often: at least once; yearly or more for people at higher risk. If you’re at ongoing risk, ask about PrEP, a medicine that prevents HIV.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Who: men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked, which the Task Force defines as 100 or more cigarettes in a lifetime, should have a one-time ultrasound. For men in that age group who have never smoked, it’s an individual decision.
Why: aneurysms usually cause no symptoms until they rupture, which is often fatal. Found early, they can be monitored and repaired if they grow.
How: a painless abdominal ultrasound that takes a few minutes.
Helpful tip
Ask your clinician to note these one-time screenings in your record once they’re done, so you don’t end up repeating them unnecessarily or missing them altogether.
Coverage
Hepatitis C and HIV screening, and aortic aneurysm screening for eligible men, are covered without cost sharing by most private plans under the Affordable Care Act. Medicare covers them as well for people who meet its criteria.
If you smoked, you may also qualify for lung cancer screening. For the regular checkup where these are usually ordered, see our guide to the preventive visit.
Key points
- The Task Force recommends hepatitis C screening for adults 18 to 79, usually once, with repeat testing for people with ongoing risk.
- HIV screening is recommended at least once for people 15 to 65, and more often for those at higher risk.
- Men 65 to 75 who have ever smoked should have a one-time ultrasound to check for an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
- Hepatitis C can be cured with a short course of pills, and HIV treatment lets people live long, healthy lives, so finding them early matters.
Common questions
Why test for hepatitis C if I feel fine?
Hepatitis C often causes no symptoms for years while it slowly damages the liver. Modern treatment cures most infections in eight to twelve weeks.
Is HIV testing confidential?
Yes. Results are protected health information. You can find free and low-cost testing sites, and information about self-tests, through the CDC’s locator at gettested.cdc.gov.
What is an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
It’s a bulge in the main artery running through the abdomen. Large aneurysms can rupture, which is life-threatening; screening finds them so they can be monitored or repaired.
This guide explains general U.S. screening recommendations and is not medical advice. Your clinician may recommend a different schedule based on your health, history and test results.