Cervical Cancer Detection & Treatment
WINGS’ Cervical Cancer Detection and Treatment Program provides screening and treatment services by organizing mobile clinics in under-resourced communities. Our program coordinator and nurse bring all their own supplies and equipment, and are able to set up clinics in the most remote areas, using the facilities of a rural health post, a school, a community center, or even a private home.
In 2006, WINGS introduced the VIA/Cryo method (visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid and same-day treatment using cryotherapy) into our programming. VIA/Cryo has now almost entirely taken the place of Pap smears at WINGS cervical cancer clinics. This low-cost technique is especially appropriate for low-resource settings because results can be given the same day, and up to half of abnormalities detected can be treated immediately using cryotherapy, a simple procedure which involves freezing the surface of the cervix. VIA/Cryo greatly diminishes the need for return visits, which are often prohibitively difficult or expensive for women in isolated or low-income areas. In addition, when the result of a screening is negative, the test only needs to be repeated every three years, whereas Pap smears should be repeated annually. VIA/Cryo can be performed by any trained health care provider, not necessarily a physician, and costs approximately $14 per patient.
In cases where abnormalities cannot be treated using cryotherapy, WINGS refers women to additional services, covering the full cost of treatment when necessary.