Cervical Cancer Prevention

CERVICAL CANCER is a leading cause of cancer death among women in Guatemala, and it is 100% PREVENTABLE.

Thank You

to those who make our cervical cancer prevention program possible:

Dr. Anne Ruch
Chetti Smith
Hologic
ProMedica
Zonta Club of Toledo
Rotary Club of Toledo

CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION PROGRAM

Because cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Guatemala, SewHope has made it a priority to work on its prevention. Since 2007, SewHope has performed:

12,000 pap smears to screen for cervical cancer
680 treatments for pre-cancerous abnormalities
On a three-week trip to Guatemala in February, 2021, Dr. Anne Ruch and her team screened over 650 women. In addition, 30 women had additional testing and treatment for abnormal pap smears. These procedures are otherwise only available in Guatemala City which is a 10- hour trip from Petén.

Our on-staff nurse is a Guatemalan-certified cytologist and trains with U.S. cytologists.

The Guatemalan Ministry of Health is now sending SewHope all of their abnormal findings and we are working closely with them to eliminate this devastating but completely preventable disease.
In addition to providing pap smears at our clinic in Santa Ana, Guatemala, SewHope groups regularly travel to more remote villages to provide "Pap Smear Days" for women who live too far away.
SewHope maintains a great relationship with local hospitals and health centers: they often refer women to us for screening and treatments, and we refer patients to them who are outside of our clinic's treatment capabilities.
SewHope also has a pediatrician who has office hours in our clinic, giving access to healthcare for children who live in the Peten region.

Flori's Story

Flori was a young Guatemalan woman who came to SewHope's clinic in 2010 with advanced cervical cancer. Through the generosity and hard work of many different individuals in the Toledo area, Flori was able to come to the United States for treatment. Sadly, she passed away in 2011, from a disease that could have been prevented with proper screening and early treatment.
But her death was not in vain - news spread quickly of Flori's cancer and the gringos who had done their best to help her. Because of her witness, many of her friends and neighbors came to get screened... and then their friends and neighbors came to get screened... and word spread about the importance of pap smears.

Read more of Flori's story here.