Screening recommendations, preventive care guidance, and updates from expert panels and agencies.
New HRSA-backed U.S. cervical cancer screening guidance adds a patient-collected (at-home) option for high-risk HPV testing for average-risk adults ages 30 to 65. The preferred screening interval is every 5 years, and abnormal results may require additional follow-up tests to complete screening.
If you may have been exposed to mpox, JYNNEOS post-exposure prophylaxis works best when started within 4 days (and may still help if given up to 14 days). If you develop a new, unusual rash after a relevant exposure window, contact a clinician promptly to ask about mpox PCR testing.
The American Cancer Society’s May 27, 2026 colorectal cancer screening update adds a blood-based option for some average-risk adults, but it does not replace colonoscopy or the need for follow-up after a positive result.
ACOG’s June 2026 schedule still recommends flu, COVID-19, Tdap, and RSV during pregnancy. CDC’s COVID-19 pages are less uniform, so here is the practical takeaway for prenatal visits.
A 2026 American Cancer Society guideline added blood-based screening as a limited option for some average-risk adults. It did not make blood tests a full replacement for colonoscopy or stool-based screening.
ACOG’s new maternal immunization schedule gives pregnant and postpartum readers a clearer roadmap for flu, Tdap, RSV, COVID-19, and the vaccines that usually wait until after delivery.
An American Cancer Society guideline update keeps colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45 for average-risk adults and adds a blood-based option for people who decline or do not complete preferred screening tests.
The American Cancer Society’s May 27, 2026 update added a blood-based option for colorectal cancer screening, but only as a non-preferred choice for average-risk adults who do not complete preferred tests. Here is what changed, what did not, and what to know about accuracy, follow-up colonoscopy, and Medicare coverage. ([pressroom.cancer.org](https://pressroom.cancer.org/colorectal-cancer-screening-guideline-update-2026))
CDC says most adults do not need routine measles titers or an extra MMR dose in 2026. But international travel, local outbreaks, and certain higher-risk groups can change the answer.
ACOG now includes patient-collected high-risk HPV screening in cervical cancer guidance for average-risk adults ages 30 to 65, but the change is narrower than many headlines suggest. Federal preventive-coverage changes tied to the HRSA update generally begin with plan years starting in 2027, and a positive result still usually leads to in-person follow-up.
Breast cancer screening is back in the news because policy leaders and researchers are revisiting how mammograms should be recommended and covered. For most average-risk U.S. women, the practical advice has not changed: keep following current screening guidance and confirm your schedule with your clinician.
A large randomized trial suggests breast cancer screening can be tailored by risk without missing more advanced cancers compared with standard screening. But U.S. guidance has not broadly shifted yet, and experts still see important limits in the evidence.
The CDC has added a new screening page that brings a once mostly specialist idea into a more public-facing conversation: type 1 diabetes can begin before symptoms, and some people at higher risk may be identified earlier with a blood test. That matters because many people still learn they have type 1 diabetes only after a medical emergency such as diabetic ketoacidosis.
ACOG’s April 23, 2026 update backs patient-collected high-risk HPV screening as an option for some average-risk adults ages 30 to 65. Here’s who it may fit, what it does not replace, how follow-up works, and when most insurance coverage is expected to change.
Federal guidance now gives women ages 30 to 65 at average risk a new option for cervical cancer screening: collecting the sample themselves for high-risk HPV testing. The change may make screening easier to access, but it is not treatment, and a positive result still needs follow-up care.
CDC’s December 2025 change on hepatitis B shots for some newborns did not change a separate recommendation for adults: people 18 and older should still get screened at least once with a triple-panel blood test. The test can find infections that cause no symptoms for years and help prevent long-term liver disease.
With measles outbreaks still shaping public-health guidance in 2026, families may need to know who should get a routine MMR shot, who may qualify for an early dose before travel or outbreak exposure, and when post-exposure treatment has to happen fast. The CDC says MMR can help if given within 72 hours of exposure, while immune globulin may help if given within 6 days for certain higher-risk people.
CDC now recommends one RSV dose for adults 75 and older, and for adults 50 to 74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV illness. Here’s what changed, who may qualify, when vaccination makes the most sense, and what has not changed.
New CDC and USPSTF guidance is a reminder that sexual-health screening is part of routine preventive care, not just care after symptoms or a known exposure. For many adults, adolescents, and pregnant people, the key questions are when to test, how often to repeat testing, and which infections should be included.
Average-risk adults in the United States should start colorectal cancer screening at 45, not 50. The test may be a stool test, a colonoscopy, or another approved option — but any abnormal stool or imaging result still needs a colonoscopy to finish the screening process.
The current U.S. recommendation for many average-risk women is a mammogram every two years from ages 40 to 74. People at higher risk may need a different plan, so it is worth checking your own risk factors and asking a clinician if your screening schedule should be adjusted.
New CDC and CMS guidance keeps colorectal cancer screening front and center for adults ages 45 to 75. The main message is simple: screening is for people who do not have symptoms, and the right test depends on age, risk, access, and follow-up needs.
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