Newsweek Health: a checklist of screenings and tests every woman should know about

Everyone knows the importance of eating right, watching their weight and getting adequate exercise. However even with all of that preventive care, regular visits to the doctor for tests to monitor health and to screen for various diseases are must do's--especially for women.

Newsweek's Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz compiled a rundown of what women need. Here are abbreviated descriptions of their recommended tests (see article for full text):

Teeth: Visit the dentist at least once a year for an exam and a cleaning.

Hearing: After age 65, you should have your hearing tested every year.

Physical Exams: From 30 to 65, you should have a physical every one to five years, depending on your overall health.

Breast self-exam: Monthly.

Mammograms: Women over 40 should have an annual mammogram to check for breast cancer. Women at risk for breast cancer should get mammograms even earlier.

Pelvic exam and Pap smear: You should have a yearly pelvic exam and Pap smear to check for cervical cancer and other disorders.

Thyroid: At age 35 and every few years after that, you should test your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

Type 2 diabetes: High-risk women should get a fasting blood sugar test by age 35 and every three years after that.

Sexually transmitted diseases: If you are sexually active, you should have a test for chlamydia and talk to your doctor about other appropriate tests.

Colonoscopies: You should have a test for colorectal cancer at age 50 if there is no family history of the disease and earlier if you are high-risk.

Bone-Density Scan: The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that all women over 65 get a baseline bone mineral density test. Postmenopausal women in their 40s or 50s should also be tested if they have one or more risk factors.

Skin cancer: Women under 40 should have a head-to-toe skin exam by a doctor every few years. For women over 40, that check should be annual.

While it might seem to be a lot of tests, early detection is often a critical factor in successfully dealing with whatever condition is being tested for.