Prevent and Detect Cervical Cancer in Guatemala

WINGS permanent clinic is in full swing here in Antigua! This past month we held back to back clinics offering cervical cancer screening and treatment of precancerous lesions to women from both nearby and remote communities. Despite the rain, over 60 women attended the clinics, many bringing their 1 or 2 children along!

Cervical cancer when detected early is treatable. There is absolutely no reason why any woman  should die of cervical cancer today. However, because basic information about cervical cancer is non-existent in so many rural villages and services are equally limited in developing countries, cervical cancer remains a preventable tragedy. In Guatemala, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women. And regionally, a woman in Latin America is 3x more likely to die from cervical cancer than her North American counterpart (PATH, 2014). This dark reality is what we are trying to change through outreach, mobile services, and now, an easy to reach stationary clinic.

Maria, 45 years old, and a mother of eight, came to WINGS looking for answers. During an informational talk about cervical cancer, the screening procedure, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA),  and cryotherapy treatment for precancerous lesions, Maria raised her hand to ask what the risk factors for cervical cancer are. She also wanted to know if heavy, continued bleeding is normal or indicates something is wrong. Based on Maria´s concerns, we knew she needed an immediate examination.

During the consultation prior to screening, Maria explain that 9 years ago she was diagnosed with a vaginal infection, but at the time could not afford the prescribed treatment. Since then, she never returned to see a doctor or receive treatment. WINGS examined Maria, referred her to a partner clinic to undergo a colposcopy, and when it resulted that she would require surgery, we accompanied her through the pre and post surgery process.

As is often the case, women in Guatemala seek medical care only when something is clearly wrong, as in Maria´s case. Preventative care, such as routine cervical cancer screenings, are deemed unnecessary, in part due to the costs and difficulties in accessing these services. Thankfully for Maria, treatment was still an option and with our team, affordable. We know Maria is lucky and unfortunately this is not the case for far too many women in Guatemala. Thus, we will continue to urge women to take a proactive role in their health and make it easier for them to do so.  

Our dedicated team is out visiting different communities every week, talking with women about the real risk of cervical cancer and the importance of regular screenings, and following up with them so they feel comfortable attending our clinics. Thankfully, cervical cancer awareness is growing, as evidenced by high attendance at our clinics this year. Between January and June, WINGS staff performed 1,131 screenings, reaching 52% of our annual projection. And we couldn’t have done this without you.

Thank you for your support and for making reproductive rights a reality in Guatemala.

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