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United States Value:
Percentage of women ages 18-44 with a preventive medical visit in the past year
Percentage of women ages 25-44 who graduated from a college or technical school with a past-year preventive medical visit
86.5% - 80.8%
80.7% - 78.9%
78.8% - 77.1%
77.0% - 73.8%
73.7% - 66.3%
US Value: 72.7 %
Top State(s): Louisiana: 80.3 %
Bottom State(s): New Mexico: 62.5 %
Definition: Percentage of women ages 18-44 with a preventive medical visit in the past year
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022-2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Annual health exams provide an opportunity for women to access preventive services such as vaccines and screening tests, which can help identify cancers and other conditions earlier on when they are easier to treat. Well-woman visits are also a good place to discuss strategies to minimize health risks and achieve a healthy lifestyle. Based on age and risk, annual assessments should include:
Screening for health risks such as smoking and alcohol abuse through preventive services like patient counseling and education has proven to be a cost-effective way of improving health. Primary HPV screening has also been shown to be a cost-effective strategy, offering reductions in cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Annual well-woman visits are recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, although not all components may be performed each year.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of well-woman visits in the past year is higher among:
Additional research shows that well-woman visits are more common among insured women than uninsured women.
With its passage in 2010, the Affordable Care Act made it mandatory for insurance policies to cover certain preventive health care services at no cost, including at least one well-woman visit per year.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers specific recommendations for screening, evaluating, counseling and immunizations for women of different age groups.
The Women’s Preventive Services Initiative provides guidelines on evidence-based services and recommendations for women’s preventive visits.
Maciosek, Michael V., Ashley B. Coffield, Thomas J. Flottemesch, Nichol M. Edwards, and Leif I. Solberg. “Greater Use Of Preventive Services In U.S. Health Care Could Save Lives At Little Or No Cost.” Health Affairs 29, no. 9 (September 2010): 1656–60. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2008.0701.
Simms, Kate T., Adam Keane, Diep Thi Ngoc Nguyen, Michael Caruana, Michaela T. Hall, Gigi Lui, Cindy Gauvreau, et al. “Benefits, Harms and Cost-Effectiveness of Cervical Screening, Triage and Treatment Strategies for Women in the General Population.” Nature Medicine 29, no. 12 (December 2023): 3050–58. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02600-4.
Witkop, Catherine, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Gynecologic Practice. “ACOG Committee Opinion No. 755: Well-Woman Visit.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 132, no. 4 (October 2018): e181–86.https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002897.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
