You’re the heartbeat of your family.
You show up for everyone: your kids, your parents, your partner, your community. Now show up for your own health.
HERE’S THE TRUTH:
Taking care of your health is making sure you’ll be here for all the moments that matter. This roadmap is your yearly guide. Even when you feel fine, these checkups protect your future.
START TODAY, NOT MAÑANA.
I ALWAYS PUT MY FAMILY FIRST. Doctor appointments were last on my list. Then my daughter told me, ‘Mom, we need you healthy. THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
Destiny, San Antonio mother and grandmother.
Take your first steps
- Find a health provider
- Schedule your yearly checkup
- Bring this guide with you
The basics
- Check-ups and screenings
- Vaccines
- Mental health
- Lifestyle
Check-ups & Screenings
See your primary care provider and eye doctor every year, your dentist every 6 months, and hearing checks as needed. Even when nothing hurts. That’s when prevention works best.
An annual check-up is sometimes called a well-woman exam; it covers everything, including your reproductive health.
Know your numbers:
Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight. These numbers tell your story.
Vaccines
- Get your yearly COVID and flu shots.
- Every 10 Years: Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine
- If you are pregnant, an RSV vaccine may be recommended
your whole mental health
- Feeling stressed, worried, or down? That’s not weakness, that’s life. Talk to your health provider.
- Depression and anxiety can be treated.
Living well every day
- Take Care of Your Body: Move it. Feed it well. Rest it.
- Wear sunscreen. Stay close to your people and what gives you peace.
In your 20s & 30s
Building your foundation
Talk to your doctor about:
Alcohol, smoking, and drug use
Birth control and family planning
Breast cancer screening
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (if you didn’t get it as a teen)
Pap test every 3 years in your 20s. Pap and HPV tests every 5 years starting at 30
Safety check (your provider asks if you feel safe at home)
Sexually transmitted diseases tests (STD) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C tests as needed.
Skin checks
In your 40s
Staying strong as life gets busier
Everything from before, plus:
NEW CONVERSATIONS:
You can get the HPV vaccine until age 45 if needed.
Perimenopause and menopause – Your body is changing.
Bladder leakage – it’s common and treatable.
Starting at 40:
Colon Cancer screening (starts at age 45 and every 10 years after)
Mammogram every year (breast cancer screening)
Pap tests every 5 years
In your 50s
Protecting what you’ve built
NEW CONVERSIONS
NEW CONVERSATIONS:
Lung screening (if you’ve smoked)
Pneumonia vaccine
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine (if you’re at higher risk)
Shingles vaccine (2 doses)
Keep getting:
Yearly mammograms, Pap tests every 5 years, colon screening every 10 years
YOU MATTER. YOUR HEALTH MATTERS.
YOUR FAMILY NEEDS YOU HERE.
My health checklist
Basic checks:
- Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight
- Breast exam
- Hearing and vision
- Mental health talk (stress/anxiety/depression)
- Safe sex/family planning/STD,HIV, and Hepatitis C testing
- Safety/domestic violence check
- Skin check
- Smoking/drinking talk
Based on my age, I also need:
- Bladder leakage talk (if needed)
- Colon screening (45+, every 10 years)
- Lung screening (50+ if I smoke/smoked)
- Mammogram (40+, yearly)
- Pap/HPV tests
- Perimenopause/menopause talk (30s-50s)
Vaccines I’m due for:
- COVID (yearly)
- Flu (yearly)
- HPV (if I haven’t had it)(up to 45, one time)
- Pneumonia(50+, one time)
- RSV (50+ if higher risk)
- Shingles (50+, 2 doses)
- Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine (every 10 years)
This campaign was made possible by Bexar County.
HAVE HEALTH QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE.
Health Confianza is a community health program that helps people in Bexar County feel more confident about the steps they can take to be healthy. We use health literacy best practices to make it easier for people to understand information and make informed health decisions. Founded in 2021, Health Confianza is based at The University of Texas at San Antonio. By training health professionals and partnering with local organizations, we have engaged thousands of community members to support their well‑being.