By Sally Parmelee | Development Coordinator
During September WINGS held our biannual family planning and cervical cancer prevention clinics in El Tejar, Chimaltenango and Antigua. Each clinic lasted two days and offered both long term family planning methods, specifically the Jadelle sub dermal implant and the copper IUD, and screenings for cervical cancer at extremely subsidized costs.
Generally, WINGS offers such clinics in Alta Verapaz where the population is mainly rural indigenous, as the more urban departments in Guatemala typically have more options available when it comes to reproductive health. However, as seen by the large turnout of women that attend our clinics in Chimaltenango and Antigua, there is still great need for WINGS services in semi-urban areas.
At our Antigua clinic, we received a group of 50 women from Escuintla, who first walked over an hour to reach the nearest bus stop, many with a baby strapped to their back or a toddler in tow, and then traveled an additional 2 hours by bus to attend. Another group of 25 women came from a local nonprofit, Camino Seguro, in Guatemala City, and were so pleased with WINGS care that future collaboration is being discussed.
To begin each clinic, WINGS nurses give a short talk about the methods being offered and the importance of getting screened for cervical cancer. Women are given the opportunity to voice any concerns or questions they may have about any of the services before deciding which they would like to use. It is very common that a woman comes to the clinic looking only to use a family planning method, and decides to do the cervical cancer exam as well, or vice versa.
In total, WINGS attended to 233 women throughout the 4 clinic days.
We performed 173 rapid cancer screenings, and implanted 76 Jadelles and 10 copper IUDs.
Thankfully treatment for precancerous lesions was only necessary in 2 cases.
We are encouraged that 20% of women in attendance were under 25 years of age, demonstrating interest from younger women in taking action concerning their reproductive health.
*For more photographs from our recent clinics, visit WINGS´ Facebook page.
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