It’s becoming clear that women with disabilities need to take charge of their own health and wellness, and knowing what screening tests you need to discuss with your doctor is part of that process.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the tests you need include the following, and may vary by your age and personal circumstances:

  • Blood pressure check. People with disabilities may experience higher levels of blood pressure, so it’s important to have yours checked annually if not more often. A reading of 140/90 puts you in the “high blood pressure” range.
  • Mammogram. You should have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years starting at age 40 – the earlier breast cancer is caught, the likelier you will survive it. However, if you use a wheelchair, you may need to do a bit of research to find a local health facility that has accessible mammography machines. Check with your health provider to see if he or she knows the accessible options.
  • Pap smear. Once a woman becomes sexually active or reaches the age of 21, she should have a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years until the age of 65. After that, your health provider should counsel you on how often you need this test, which identifies the presence of cervical cancer.
  • Cholesterol test. A predictor of possible heart disease, your cholesterol should be checked regularly starting at age 45. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, a family history of heart disease, or if you smoke, your doctor may want to start checking your cholesterol at a younger age.
  • Body mass index. Women with disabilities are at higher risk for obesity than are able-bodied women. Your doctor should check your body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight, to determine where you fall on the weight spectrum. A BMI of 39+ is an indicator (not definitive) of obesity. To check your BMI yourself, use the BMI calculator provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
  • Colon check. AHRQ recommends that women have be screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 50. Because there are a number of ways to check for colorectal cancer, you’ll want to consult with your healthcare provider to help you decide which test is right for you. Women with a history of this type of cancer in their family may need to be screened at an earlier age.
  • Fasting glucose test. Diabetes and its related blood-sugar conditions are increasing in the general population, and are highly correlated with obesity, which occurs in higher rates among women with disabilities. So if you are heavy, have high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, you’ll want to discuss a fasting glucose test with your doctor.
  • Bone density test. Osteoporosis is a thinning of the bones; its precursor, osteopenia, indicates that there is evidence that thinning of the bones is beginning. AHRQ recommends having a bone density test beginning at age 65 to screen for osteoporosis. However, certain individual characteristics – such as being fair-skinned, small-boned or slim, having little exposure to sunlight, or having a disability that causes you to be immobile and not actively participating in any physical exercise program – may increase your risk of osteoporosis. If this is the case you may need to consider being tested at an earlier age, for example, at age 50.

In addition to these basic tests, for women who are sexually active, AHRQ recommends tests for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections for anyone 25 or younger (women older than 25 should discuss the necessity of the test with their doctors).

Also, an HIV screening is in order if you have had unprotected sex with multiple partners; are pregnant; have used or currently use injection drugs; exchange sex for money or drugs or have sex partners who do; have past or present sex partners who are HIV-infected, are bisexual, or use injection drugs; are being treated for sexually transmitted diseases; or had a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985.