Working in the Communities

We have now finished our time on the wards. The remaining five weeks will be devoted to various community projects. The project I will be working on, surprise-surprise, is cervical cancer. The cervical cancer statistics in Africa make Nicaragua appear well-controlled! Some of the Einstein students here last fall noted the lack of cervical cancer screening services in Uganda and began working with Einstein GYN department to see what could be done. Through myself, PINCC was contacted and now PINCC will be adding Kisoro, Uganda to their itinerary next fall while in Africa. So, in the meantime, Katrina and I will be taking a survey of cervical cancer awareness, knowledge of pelvic exams and myths / fears surrounding women’s health issues. In addition, we hope to raise awareness of the need for women to be screened for cervical cancer, in hopes that when PINCC comes, they will have an easier time recruiting women.

This project has been quite challenging. In Rufumbira, the local language here in Kisoro, there is no word for cervix, and the word vagina is a shameful, dirty word, rarely uttered. Even doctors, MDs, refer to the vagina as “down there” and giggle as we discuss the female anatomy. We have compromised and now refer to the cervix as “the mouth of the uterus.” So trying to communicate about cervical cancer has had its extra difficulties…. women empowerment has not yet reached Uganda, so we have our work cut out for us.
(for more information on cervical cancer statistics in Uganda, see post entitled “cervical cancer in Uganda.”)

Beginning Monday we will trek out into the surrounding villages and go house to house interviewing women. In our survey, we plan to include lots of extra time for education, hoping that by educating a few women, the word will get out about the importance of cervical cancer screening.

My time on the wards had its highs and lows. I learned an unbelievable amount; in my physical exam skills, diagnostic capability and managing 15 patients at once. Internship should be a breeze after this. However we also suffered through terrible tragedies…. A 22-year old girl who died from cerebral malaria because the parents were awaiting transport for three days. But we also had great success stories and I think, overall, we made a small difference.