By Kirsten Taylor | Director of Development & Communications
At WINGS, one of the aspects of care we provide that we are most proud of is our commitment to educate our patients and partner with them as their healthcare provider. Our nurses have the opportunity to dispel myths and share information that truly helps individuals to have a greater voice in their own decision-making.
Mariana is the mother of three children under the age of twelve. When she was pregnant with her first child, her husband started to drink heavily, in a way she had not seen him do before. She also discovered that both she and her husband had the human papilloma virus (HPV). Mariana still recalls her shock when the doctor explained how you get this illness. One month before this interview, Mariana and her husband separated due to his ongoing infidelity.
Mariana originally came to the WINGS screening clinic because she wanted to know if the infection she had years ago was back. Here are some of the topics she discussed with our nurse:
"I was ashamed to get examined in my hometown, so I went to the Health Center in San Cristóbal where they told me that WINGS would be carrying out this clinic in Santa Cruz, Sololá.
After hearing the talk that WINGS gave before the clinic I understood that the illness I had some years ago was human papilloma virus. The doctor had told me this at the time, but I didn’t understand what it meant until the WINGS clinic. I didn’t know anything before – today I learned that sexually transmitted infections contribute to cancer of the womb."
Mariana received cervical cancer screening (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) and cryotherapy treatment at the WINGS clinic, and it was through talking with WINGS staff that she felt able to take the decision to end her marriage as she was tired of suffering from sexually transmitted infections. As well as requiring cryotherapy, Mariana was also treated for bacterial vaginosis.
"I found the educational talk very easy to listen to and understand because it was women giving the talk and they spoke to us in our own language [Q’eqchi]. The women who examined and treated us were very kind.
For me, birth control is necessary to improve the health of children and women. Bringing clinics and modern birth control methods to communities is a great help for us – as mothers we cannot leave our children alone or afford the transport costs, so we are unable to go and get medical help.
You can’t imagine how grateful I am – your donations have made it possible for me to have a cervical cancer screening and finally know whether I am healthy. Now that I have left my husband I am earning a living by selling tortillas as my husband doesn’t support me financially. Although the judge ordered that he had to pay maintenance, my husband’s boss helped him by stating that he doesn’t earn very much so he only gives me Q100 [$13.50] a month, which isn’t enough to feed my three children."
WINGS staff supports women as they become empowered to make decisions that will improve the lives for themselves and their children. While it can be overwhelming at times to seek screening and treatment, we hope that by providing education, we can be a part of helping all Guatemalans to fully exercise their reproductive rights.
By Kirsten Taylor | Director of Development & Communications
By Shaili Zappa | Development Assistant
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