Prevent and Detect Cervical Cancer in Guatemala

WINGS has provided 60,239 cervical cancer screenings since 2001. In 2018, we saw a 28% decrease in our cervical cancer screening service from 2017. This result was by design since we aimed for a decrease in the provision of both cervical cancer screenings and short-acting methods in response to both community needs and available funding. In the past, WINGS staff emphasized cervical cancer screenings in promotional talks and patient education. We saw large numbers of patients seeking us out exclusively for this screening to the point that it impeded our ability to attend those patients who needed contraceptives. Starting in 2017, we asked our staff to become more passive in their promotion of screening. Staff began educating patients who came for contraceptive methods about the benefits of cervical cancer screenings, but we did not publicly advertise this service. This shift in promotion of services combined with no longer organizing massive cervical cancer screening clinics with agricultural employers resulted in a decline in screenings provided.

Nearly a quarter of WINGS patients had their first cervical cancer screening with us last year and almost half saw us for a contraceptive method as well. WINGS offers cervical cancer screenings in all our clinics, either within our stationary clinic or our mobile unit clinics. We use visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for immediate detection of cervical cell abnormalities and same-day treatment using cryotherapy for pre-cancerous cells that may lead to cervical cancer.

A trend that our nurses have begun to see is that the health posts and other health facilities managed by the Guatemalan Ministry of Health are increasingly more likely to have both trained staff and sufficient inventory to meet the needs of communities. WINGS always tries to fill in any gaps left and work closely with local health officials to plan coverage of rural areas.

In 2019, we aim to provide 2,000 VIA screenings, knowing that many communities are being covered by governmental resources. WINGS will be available and prepared to fill in gaps as our field staff notices any unmet needs. This work would simply not be possible without your help. You are truly helping us to save lives. ¡Gracias!