Well Visit: 19 to 21 Years

It’s important to have regularly scheduled checkups, often called well visits, with your doctor. These visits usually happen once a year. Well visits can help you stay healthy and find any problems early. During a visit, your doctor will do a physical exam. This may include checking your blood pressure, height, and weight. Your doctor may also ask questions about your overall health. For example, your doctor may ask if you smoke, vape, or drink alcohol.

If you have any concerns, you can discuss them with your doctor during the visit. You might talk about things like relationships, school, work, stress levels, and your living situation.

You and your doctor may also talk about how to manage your health as an adult. Now that you’re over age 18, your doctor will need your written permission to share your health information with your parents.

Between well visits, there are things you can do to help keep yourself healthy and safe. Here are some tips.

• Brush your teeth twice a day, morning and night, and floss once a day. Schedule checkups and cleanings as often as your dentist recommends.
• Eat healthy foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy. If you are female, be sure to eat foods rich in folate, like dark, green leafy vegetables.
• Limit drinks high in sugar or caffeine, including soda, fruit juice, and energy drinks. Drink water instead. Also limit sugary foods, such as candy and ice cream. And limit processed foods, like chips and crackers.
• Be sure to eat breakfast and try not to skip any meals.
• Be active most days of the week. Try to do at least 2½ hours of moderate exercise each week. One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. You could go for a brisk walk, a bike ride, or a swim. At least 2 days a week, do exercises that strengthen your muscles, such as lifting weights.
• Get enough sleep. Try for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Go to bed at the same time each day, and don’t stay up too late or sleep too long in the morning. Also, avoid using your smartphone, computer, or tablet in the hour before bedtime.
• Always use sunscreen and wear a hat when you are outside. Choose a sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

• Practice taking responsibility for things at home, school, or work. Make choices and solve problems on your own when you can. And ask for help or advice when you need it.
• Take care of your mental health. Finding healthy ways to manage stress can help. Try doing an activity you enjoy, like drawing, journaling, listening to music, or playing a sport. Also, spend time with friends or family members.
• Talk through problems. If you get angry with someone, walk away. Never use violence.
• If you have questions about sexuality or relationships, talk to your doctor, a parent, or a trusted adult.
• Talk to your doctor or a counselor if you need help finding a place to live or help getting enough food.
• If you feel unsafe in your home or in your relationship, tell your doctor, a counselor, a parent, or a trusted adult. Or you can get help from the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or 1-800-799-SAFE(1-800-799-7233). It’s a free hotline that's available 24 hours every day.
• If you are feeling sad, depressed, anxious, hopeless, or angry, talk to your doctor, a counselor, a parent, or a trusted adult.
  • Get help if you’re thinking about suicide or self-harm:
    • Call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
    • Go online to chat.988lifeline.org to start a chat.
    • Text HOME to 741741 to access the Crisis Text Line.
    • Go to 988lifeline.org for more information.

• Wear a helmet, pads, and other protective gear when you play sports. Also wear a helmet when doing things like riding a bike, skiing, and skateboarding.
• Don’t smoke, vape, or use other tobacco or nicotine products. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about quit programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
• Avoid using alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs. It’s safest not to use them at all. Talk to your doctor if you need help to quit.
• Think about safety if you're around guns. Guns should always be stored locked up, unloaded, with ammunition locked up away from the guns.
• Practice safer sex. Safer sex is a way to reduce your risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can also help prevent pregnancy. Using condoms can help reduce your chance of STIs and pregnancy. Using birth control, like an IUD or birth control pills, can also prevent pregnancy. But it does not stop you from getting STIs.
• Protect your hearing in settings with loud noise, including at home, work, and concerts. If you are around loud noise, wear earplugs or earmuffs. Also, keep the volume low on your earbuds, headphones, and stereo.
• Be careful sharing personal information online, like your phone number, address, and photo. Nothing you share online is private.
• Be a safe driver.
  • Always wear a seat belt. Ask others in the car to wear their seat belts, too.
  • Limit the number of people in your car.
  • Avoid driving after dark, if you can.
  • Never talk or text on your phone when you are driving.
  • Do not drive after using alcohol or drugs. And do not ride with someone who has been using alcohol or drugs.

Stay up-to-date on your vaccines. Talk to your doctor about which vaccines are right for you. Also, get any tests that you and your doctor decide on. Your doctor may recommend screening tests for high cholesterol, hearing, depression, and other things. Screening tests help your doctor look for a certain condition before any symptoms appear.