Section 1. Preventive Services Recommended by the USPSTF

What the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Grades Mean

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) grades its recommendations based on the strength of evidence and magnitude of net benefit (benefits minus harms).

A. The USPSTF strongly recommends that clinicians provide [the service] to eligible patients. The USPSTF found good evidence that [the service] improves important health outcomes and concludes that benefits substantially outweigh harms.

B. The USPSTF recommends that clinicians provide [the service] to eligible patients. The USPSTF found at least fair evidence that [the service] improves important health outcomes and concludes that benefits outweigh harms.

C. The USPSTF makes no recommendation for or against routine provision of [the service]. The USPSTF found at least fair evidence that [the service] can improve health outcomes but concludes that the balance of benefits and harms is too close to justify a general recommendation.

D. The USPSTF recommends against routinely providing [the service] to asymptomatic patients. The USPSTF found at least fair evidence that [the service] is ineffective or that harms outweigh benefits.

I. The USPSTF concludes that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routinely providing [the service]. Evidence that [the service] is effective is lacking, of poor quality, or conflicting, and the balance of benefits and harms cannot be determined.

Select for more information on how the USPSTF arrives at the grades for its recommendations.

Preventive Services Recommended by the USPSTF

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians discuss these preventive services with eligible patients and offer them as a priority. All these services have received an "A" (strongly recommended) or a "B" (recommended) grade from the Task Force.

For definitions of all grades used by the USPSTF, see the inside front cover. The full listings of all USPSTF recommendations for adults and children are in Section 2 and Section 3.

Recommendation Adults Special Populations
Men Women Pregnant Women Children
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Screening1 X      
Alcohol Misuse Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions X X X  
Aspirin for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events2 X X    
Bacteriuria, Screening for Asymptomatic     X  
Breast Cancer, Chemoprevention3   X    
Breast Cancer, Screening4   X    
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility, Genetic Risk Assessment and BRCA Mutation Testing5   X    
Breastfeeding, Behavioral Interventions to Promote6   X X  
Cervical Cancer, Screening7   X    
Chlamydial Infection, Screening8   X X  
Colorectal Cancer, Screening9 X X    
Dental Caries in Preschool Children, Prevention10       X
Depression, Screening11 X X    
Diabetes Mellitus in Adults, Screening for Type 212 X X    
Diet, Behavioral Counseling in Primary Care to Promote a Healthy13 X X    
Gonorrhea, Screening14   X X  
Gonorrhea, Prophylactic Medication15       X
Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Screening16     X  
High Blood Pressure, Screening X X    
HIV, Screening17 X X X X
Lipid Disorders, Screening18 X X    
Obesity in Adults, Screening19 X X    
Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women, Screening20   X    
Rh (D) Incompatibility, Screening21     X  
Syphilis Infection, Screening22 X X X  
Tobacco Use and Tobacco-Caused Disease, Counseling to Prevent23 X X X  
Visual Impairment in Children Younger than Age 5 Years, Screening24       X

1 One-time screening by ultrasonography in men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
2 Adults at increased risk for coronary heart disease.
3 Discuss with women at high risk for breast cancer and at low risk for adverse effects of chemoprevention.
4 Mammography every 1-2 years for women 40 and older.
5 Refer women whose family history is associated with an increased risk for deleterious mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes for genetic counseling and evaluation for BRCA testing.
6 Structured education and behavioral counseling programs.
7 Women who have been sexually active and have a cervix.
8 Sexually active women 25 and younger and other asymptomatic women at increased risk for infection. Asymptomatic pregnant women 25 and younger and others at increased risk.
9 Men and women 50 and older.
10 Prescribe oral fluoride supplementation at currently recommended doses to preschool children older than 6 months whose primary water source is deficient in fluoride.
11 In clinical practices with systems to assure accurate diagnoses, effective treatment, and follow-up.
12 Adults with hypertension or hyperlipidemia.
13 Adults with hyperlipidemia and other known risk factors for cardiovascular and diet-related chronic disease.
14 All sexually active women, including those who are pregnant, at increased risk for infection (that is, if they are young or have other individual or population risk factors).
15 Prophylactic ocular topical medication for all newborns against gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum.
16 Pregnant women at first prenatal visit.
17 All adolescents and adults at increased risk for HIV infection and all pregnant women.
18 Men 35 and older and women 45 and older. Younger adults with other risk factors for coronary disease. Screening for lipid disorders to include measurement of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
19 Intensive counseling and behavioral interventions to promote sustained weight loss for obese adults.
20 Women 65 and older and women 60 and older at increased risk for osteoporotic fractures.
21 Blood typing and antibody testing at first pregnancy-related visit. Repeated antibody testing for unsensitized Rh (D)-negative women at 24-28 weeks gestation unless biological father is known to be Rh (D) negative.
22 Persons at increased risk and all pregnant women.
23 Tobacco cessation interventions for those who use tobacco. Augmented pregnancy-tailored counseling to pregnant women who smoke.
24 To detect amblyopia, strabismus, and defects in visual acuity.

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