Prevent and Detect Cervical Cancer in Guatemala

"I simply don't trust doctors," declared Mariana, attempting to end the conversation. On the other end of the line, Julia, her mother-in-law, was urging her to attend our upcoming jornada (clinic day). Mariana, haunted by past negative experiences with healthcare, was reluctant to reconsider. 

Despite Mariana's hesitations, Julia was determined and found herself among the first in line for our jornada. That day, we conducted Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) tests.

Tatiana, our Head Nurse of the Southern Coast, noticed Julia was nervous and took a moment to talk with her before the VIA test. "Hi Julia, my name is Tatiana. We are glad that you decided to come today," she said with a warm and inviting smile.

During Julia’s VIA exam, Tatiana noticed minor cervical abnormalities that could be treated with thermocoagulation on the spot. Despite initial panic, Tatiana reassured her it was a simple procedure. 

"You can't imagine the good you are doing," Julia expressed as she left the clinic. "I'm going to convince my daughter-in-law to come because I've never been treated so well."

After some persuasion, Julia succeeded in convincing her daughter-in-law. Like Julia, Mariana had cervical abnormalities that Tatiana treated immediately.

"You are saving lives," Mariana said, tears in her eyes. "I stopped going to doctors because of the apathy, mistreatment, and unprofessionalism elsewhere. But you are something else."

Julia and Mariana's story underscores the need for providing dignified sexual health care. Your support is fueling the abilities of our team, enabling them to serve their communities with tender care.

In 2023, WINGS provided nearly 3,350 cervical cancer screenings, and over one-third of those were to women who had never been screened before. WINGS offers cervical cancer screenings in all our clinics, either within our stationary clinics 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 thermocoagulation for pre-cancerous cells that may lead to cervical cancer.

In 2024, we aim to provide 3,734 VIA screenings, knowing that many of those screenings will happen in the most rural, hard-to-reach areas of the country. Your support means that we are able to offer this service, knowing that we are saving lives. On behalf of our medical providers and the women we serve, ¡GRACIAS!