Prevent and Detect Cervical Cancer in Guatemala

At WINGS, our nurses provide services to hundreds of patients each month. In 2016, we provided 4,194 cervical cancer screenings to women throughout Guatemala, mostly through our Mobile Units. Teams made up of 2-3 nurses and 1 driver load up one of our trucks and travel to some of the most remote regions of the country to provide reproductive health services. In addition to providing education at these sites, nurses also place short-acting contraceptive methods like subdermal hormonal implants and IUDs and provide cervical cancer screening and treatment. You can imagine that each nurse from our two Mobile Unit teams sees her fair share of patients every month. But one case recently stuck in the hearts of our team.

Nurse Flori recently had the opportunity to meet a young woman called “Jennifer” (for privacy reasons, we will not use her real name). Jennifer was 18 years old when she came to one of our Mobile Unit clinics in her village. She had a one-year old son and had not had a cervical cancer screening for over a year. She was terrified when Flori met her, uncertain of what a screening might show. As is common with many indigenous girls from her village, she had finished middle school but not gone on to high school. She shared that she had become sexually active at the age of 14 and was currently living with her partner.

Jennifer’s screening showed that she did, in fact, have precancerous cells. Thankfully though, the abnormality that Nurse Flori detected is highly treatable with cryotherapy. Jennifer received the treatment and Flori counseled her that she should avoid pregnancy for at least one year to allow her body to fully recuperate and reach optimum health before trying to conceive another child. After weighing her options, Jennifer chose to have a subdermal hormonal implant placed in her upper arm that same day, protecting her from pregnancy for up to 5 years.

After receiving these services, Jennifer felt relieved and able to explain her choice to her partner. Flori says that she could feel Jennifer relax and feel calm knowing that she had confronted her fear and dealt with the results.

We know that seeking healthcare screening can be a daunting process for anyone. We also know that nurses like Flori and her coworkers have a gentle way of making their patients feel at ease and empowered to make healthy choices.

Cervical cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Guatemala, making early screening and treatment absolutely necessary to save lives. Women in remote villages often have limited access to healthcare services and fear is a common deterrent even if services are available. We are grateful for your support and can confidently say that we know Jennifer’s gratitude is beyond words. ¡Gracias!