{"id":6392,"date":"2026-04-23T00:44:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T04:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fosfeminista.org\/?post_type=article&p=6392"},"modified":"2026-04-23T15:59:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:59:43","slug":"care-matters-centering-patient-rights-autonomy-in-guatemala","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/fosfeminista.org\/es\/news-and-stories\/care-matters-centering-patient-rights-autonomy-in-guatemala\/","title":{"rendered":"El cuidado importa: Centrando los derechos y la autonom\u00eda del paciente en Guatemala"},"template":"","class_list":["post-6392","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","article_type-stories","article_format-stories-of-change","issue_tax-contraception-reproductive-rights-and-gender-equality","issue_tax-gender-equity","issue_tax-reproductive-health-supplies","issue_tax-sex-ed","location-guatemala"],"acf":{"details":{"":null,"article_type":21,"article_format":150,"authors":"","add_button":false,"button_type":"","button":null,"download":null,"download_button_text":"","featured_image":6393},"sidebar":{"issues":{"title":"Cuestiones prioritarias","issues":[89,38,36,104]},"locations":{"title":"Ubicaci\u00f3n","locations":[174]},"partners":{"title":"Socios","partners":"WINGS"}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_hero_article","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_hero_article":{"":null,"anchor_id":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Asking for contraception can still\u00a0feel like crossing\u00a0an invisible line in Guatemala.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWomen weigh the risk of being judged, dismissed, or misunderstood, especially Maya women who\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0speak Spanish, often the only language many healthcare providers use in Guatemala. Now, with contraceptive shortages spreading across the country, even those willing to take that risk\u00a0are\u00a0finding\u00a0fewer and fewer\u00a0options available.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn Santo Domingo\u00a0Xenacoj, that reality plays out quietly, where women often seek care in private after work, after dark, often with hesitation. Because access\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0just about availability.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s\u00a0about trust.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0And for\u00a0many, that\u00a0t<\/span>rust is hard to find.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nNoemi provides care from her own home, at hours that work for the women in her community, including evenings when work has ended and children are asleep, something formal health facilities rarely offer. This setting helps create a sense of comfort, privacy, and safety. As a Maya\u00a0<\/span>Kaqchikel\u00a0<\/span>woman herself, she has built her work as a reproductive health promoter around trust, particularly for Indigenous women whose primary language is\u00a0<\/span>Kaqchikel<\/span>. Having firsthand experience with the fear of mistreatment and shame that often prevents Guatemalan women from seeking care in formal clinical settings, Noemi strives to remove those barriers by offering care in a safe,\u00a0familiar\u00a0and non-judgmental environment.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMy goal has always been to inspire trust with my patients, since most of them are\u00a0<\/span>indigenous<\/span>,\u201d Noemi said. <\/span>\r\n
\u201cGiven the stigma around reproductive health in Guatemala, the first thing they thi<\/span>nk is that\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0going to treat them badly. So what matters is the trust you build with them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\nNoemi is part of a community-based model supported by the\u00a0<\/span>Women\u2019s International Network for Guatemala Solutions<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(WINGS), a\u00a0F\u00f2s\u00a0Feminista\u00a0partner that provides reproductive health education and services to rural and Indigenous populations. Through this work, she shares counseling, information, and contraceptives with women in her community, meeting them where they feel most comfortable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cI often have to tell my patients about the diversity of contraception options available to them\u201d,\u00a0Noemi said. \u201cIf side effects are explained properly, and people are able to ask questions about the reality of each option without fear of judgment, they\u2019re empowered to choose the one that\u2019s right for them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nEventually, Noemi took on an\u00a0additional\u00a0role as a nurse at the WINGS mobile clinics, traveling to different communities to provide care.\u00a0<\/span>After years of working as a nurse,\u00a0<\/span>she continues seeing patients in her community as a promoter, often seeing them in her own home at night or on weekends, so they can come after work in the region\u2019s agricultural industry.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nDuring one of her regular appointments, Noemi met\u00a0Anita,*\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>n indigenous\u00a0<\/span>mother of four who wanted to prevent another pregnancy. By leading with kindness and building a strong rapport with her from day one, Noemi helped create a trusting environment that gave Anita confidence to continue prioritizing her reproductive health and making informed decisions about her future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s very culturally frowned upon\u00a0to use\u00a0contraceptives, even if it\u2019s just pills or an injection, everything\u00a0is seen negatively,\" Noemi explained. \u201cBut if you consider your options and choose a method that\u2019s best for you, you end up being able to dedicate more time to the children you already have, rather than if you had another baby.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cMe being able to have access to contraception means I get to be a better mom, to be a better wife, and have time for myself,\u201d Anita agreed. She remembers the relief she felt when accessing safe and affordable care at WINGS. Purchasing contraception at Guatemalan pharmacies can be significantly more expensive, and pharmacists are known to overstep boundaries and try to\u00a0provide\u00a0medical advice.\u00a0Anita felt much more comfortable and supported by Noemi\u2019s rights-based approach to care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nAccess to reproductive healthcare in Guatemala is under growing strain. Poor government management has slowed contraceptive procurement,\u00a0disrupting\u00a0supply\u00a0chains\u00a0and leaving clinics without essential methods. With shortages already underway, gaps in access are expected to deepen well into 2026.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nTo fill this gap WINGS\u00a0partnered\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span>Suministros m\u00e9dicos INNOVA<\/span><\/a>, a\u00a0F\u00f2s\u00a0Feminista\u2013led initiative developed in partnership with organizations in the region to strengthen access to contraceptives, offering tailored solutions to local healthcare providers in Latin America and the Caribbean to help them avoid high prices, long wait times, and contraceptive products that arrive with a short shelf life. By partnering with INNOVA, WINGS has still been able to\u00a0provide\u00a0a range of contraceptive options, helping women\u00a0maintain\u00a0continuity of care despite national shortages.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s so important to provide patients with reliable options, especially when many women lack accurate information about the various kinds of contraception that are available to them,\u201d Noemi said. \u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0why my health promoter counseling sessions involve not only administering a birth control method, but also listening, asking about my patients\u2019 lives, and building long-term relationships. I want to continue that care.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nYears into her work as a health promoter, Noem\u00ed continues to receive women in her home, offering something many of them struggle to find elsewhere:\u00a0the confidence and autonomy to make decisions about their own bodies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n*Her real name was omitted to protect her privacy.\u00a0<\/em>","":null,"anchor_id":""}}]},"yoast_head":"\nCare Matters: Centering Patient Rights & Autonomy in Guatemala - F\u00f2s Feminista<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fosfeminista.org\/es\/news-and-stories\/care-matters-centering-patient-rights-autonomy-in-guatemala\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Care Matters: Centering Patient Rights & Autonomy in Guatemala - 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