Prevent and Detect Cervical Cancer in Guatemala

Despite it being treatable if caught on time, cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in Guatemala. This tells us that the majority of women in Guatemala do not get screened in time to save them from an early death. WINGS works daily to change this reality. In both our stationary and mobile clinics, our nurses provide cervical cancer screenings for women throughout rural Guatemala. If we detect cancerous cells during the screening, we provide immediate cryotherapy treatment. If the cancer is more developed, we follow up with the patient and provide resources so she can go to the hospital and get further treatment. We also have volunteer family planning promoters in communities, and they are crucial in saving women from cervical cancer.

Etelvina has been a volunteer family planning promoter at WINGS for 8 years. She started working with WINGS because she is passionate about supporting her community, Santo Tomás Milpas Altas, especially women who need guidance. When women have reproductive health concerns, Etelvina encourages them to take action and seek help, and counsels them so they feel less nervous about this very taboo topic.

Etelvina told us that the public health center in her community is in very poor condition; it lacks resources and trained staff to provide accurate counseling. When women seek reproductive health services, the staff at the health center does not provide accurate or sufficient information. That is why Etelvina takes matters into her own hands and helps her community as much as she can.

As a volunteer promoter, Etelvina focuses on family planning services, specifically preventing unintended pregnancies and helping women space their pregnancies. As part of her role with WINGS, Etelvina also coordinates several mobile clinics for her community each month. She encourages women to undergo cervical cancer screenings. Many women have shown positive results in their screenings. Fortunately, these pre-cancerous cells have been detected in time and are treated on the spot with cryotherapy.

 Etelvina shared with us the story of Ines, a 26-year-old woman who came for a screening and needed treatment beyond cryotherapy. Thanks to Etelvina’s follow up with this woman, we were able to coordinate chemotherapy sessions and cervix removal through another institution. To this day, Etelvina visits Ines to make sure she has fully recovered and is in good health. When asked why she thinks cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death in Guatemala, Etelvina knew the answer immediately; “Women in Guatemala are scared of going to the doctor for a check-up. These are conservative women, and they feel that the procedure is very invasive. They are also afraid that the result of a cervical cancer screening will be positive, so they would rather not know. I always tell them that if they get tested on time, there’s a solution and treatment for them.”

Etelvina is one of sixty volunteer family planning promoters that support WINGS in providing reproductive health services to those who could otherwise not access them. It is thanks to these great women that people in the most rural, remote areas get access to reproductive health services. Furthermore, it is thanks to you that our family planning promoters get a chance to make such a huge impact in their communities. Thank you for helping us save lives in Guatemala.