The Health Check for Under-25s: Small But Not Nothing

A 22-year-old feels invincible and mostly is. But the habits and screenings established in the 20s set a trajectory. The under-25 annual check is smaller than an older adult's, but it is not nothing — several conditions worth catching, several habits worth documenting, and the beginning of the health record that will grow with you.

The specific things worth doing

• Test / assessment: BP measurement · Why: Baseline; early hypertension detection · Frequency: Every visit
• Test / assessment: Weight and BMI · Why: Trajectory monitoring · Frequency: Every visit
• Test / assessment: Complete blood count · Why: Anaemia (esp women), baseline · Frequency: Every 2-3 years
• Test / assessment: Fasting glucose · Why: Diabetes screening if any risk factor · Frequency: Every 3-5 years
• Test / assessment: Lipid profile · Why: Once as baseline · Frequency: Every 5 years if normal
• Test / assessment: Hepatitis B, HIV screening · Why: Once · Frequency: As indicated
• Test / assessment: Cervical screening (women) · Why: Start at 25 in most guidelines · Frequency: Every 3-5 years
• Test / assessment: Testicular exam (men) · Why: Self-exam habit · Frequency: Monthly self, annual clinical
• Test / assessment: Mental health screening · Why: Depression, anxiety, substance use · Frequency: Annually
• Test / assessment: Vaccinations review · Why: Ensure up to date · Frequency: Annually

The vaccinations to catch up on

• Tdap — if not in past 10 years.
• Hepatitis B — three-dose series if not received.
• HPV — recommended through age 26 in most guidelines.
• Meningococcal — if living in hostel or specific settings.
• Flu annually.
• Ensure MMR × 2 doses (born after 1970 or so).
• Chickenpox × 2 doses if never had disease.

The specific 20s issues to check

• Sexual health — STI screening if sexually active, contraception discussion.
• Mental health — 15-25 is when most psychiatric conditions first present.
• Substance use — pattern check, especially alcohol.
• Sleep — habits established now persist.
• Body composition — muscle building matters lifelong.
• Skin — sun exposure habits, mole check.
• Eye — vision changes, screen use effects.

What NOT to do

• Full body MRI, PET scans, extensive cancer marker panels.
• Cardiac stress tests without symptoms.
• Bone density scans.
• Every possible test 'because it's cheap in a package'.
• Genetic testing without specific indication.

The specific habits that matter most

• Sleep 7-9 hours consistently.
• Exercise 150+ min/week aerobic + 2 strength sessions.
• Zero tobacco.
• Moderate alcohol at most.
• Diet with vegetables, whole grains, adequate protein.
• Screen time managed.
• Mental health attention — therapy is normal, not weak.
• Financial literacy that includes health insurance.

Building the record early

• Get your first individual health insurance policy in your 20s.
• Start a personal health record app now — decades of data compound.
• Learn family medical history from parents now — memory is best now.
• Establish a primary care doctor even if you don't need one often.
• Save every test report even if all normal.

The specific case for taking it seriously

Two 25-year-olds start the same. One does annual checks, tracks BP at home, exercises consistently, learns family history, sleeps well. The other does none. By 45, their trajectories differ substantially — one has clean data showing normal function, the other reconstructs from memory when something goes wrong. The 20s check isn't about catching disease; it's about setting up the next 40 years.

References

• USPSTF — young adult preventive services
• ICMR — adult preventive care India
• AAP — adolescent to adult transition