Prevent and Detect Cervical Cancer in Guatemala

On February 26, 2014, WINGS held a community leadership workshop in San Cristobal, Alta Verapaz. About 40 representatives learned about family planning methods and management practices to provide for men and women in their communities. Laura,* who had previously been a patient at a WINGS reproductive health mobile clinic, decided to become a promoter in her community:

“My sister got me into it. I had visited her last year and she was going around letting her community know about the WINGS clinic that was going on. She told me about being a promoter and encouraged me to participate, since I’m already a leader in my community and part of a women’s committee.

I decided to go to the clinic first as a patient, since I’d been feeling sick for a while. I’d gone to a few doctors but they weren’t able to tell me what was wrong, so I thought maybe WINGS would be able to help. I’m married with two kids, and my husband was really supportive of me going, since he was worried about what might be wrong with me.”

WINGS recommended that she be tested for cervical cancer, which resulted positive. “It scared me to hear that, but I was relieved at the same time since they told me right there, and told me they would go with me to the doctor.”

WINGS refers patients with positive results to partnering physicians, who perform colposcopies and treatments. However, Laura found out she was pregnant, and would have to wait until after she gave birth to receive treatment.

“Most of what I knew about birth control before the WINGS workshop was false—that they weren’t effective or that they made you sick. My husband and I used condoms, but had gotten careless, and now I’m pregnant! Since I’ve been in the leadership workshops I’m recognizing how important it is not to be afraid to know. I know that I need to talk to my kids about this so that they don’t have the same problems.”

Laura is now a WINGS promoter in her community and counsels men, women and teens about family planning. She says it is a challenge. “Being a leader can be difficult. I deal with women who suffer from domestic violence, who have heard all the wrong things about birth control and are afraid to use it. I try to explain to them what I could have prevented by having the right information, that it is better to know.”

WINGS offers continued support to promoters with monthly follow-up visits and method redistributions, where promoters can have questions answered and better their management skills. 

* Name has been changed