A grant from the National Cancer Institute hopes to encourage Latinas, who have a higher-risk of cervical cancer than non-Latinas, to feel less anxious about having a stranger stick things into their chochas. Tequila?:

Many factors have been blamed for Hispanic women not getting Pap smears. Poverty, a lack of access to health care, lack of insurance and ignorance of the importance of cervical checkups are perhaps the most common reasons. But Hugo Vilchis, director of New Mexico State University’s Border Epidemiology and Environmental Health Center, says the significant role of culture is often overlooked.

“In the Latin American culture, it’s important for women in particular to have company with them when they go to the doctors,” Vilchis said. “Family or extended family support is very important. But some women may have nobody to accompany them, so they won’t go to the doctor.”

No wonder our entire family constantly asks us about the state of our cold, empty uterus. It’s cultural.

[P]romotoras (health care providers) will teach Hispanic women from border communities why Pap smears are important, empower them to receive Pap testing, and assist women with abnormal results in follow-up tests. La Clinica de Familia, Ben Archer Health Center and the Luna County Healthy Start Program will participate in this study. One of them will be chosen as the implementation site and that clinic’s promotoras will work directly with the Hispanic women. After about a year and a half of studies, this clinic’s results will be compared to the findings in the other two clinics, representing the control group.

Oh please. We know a guy who’ll pay YOU for a Pap smear and invite lots of people to watch. In a back alley.

Grant to help Hispanic women get Pap smears [Las Cruces Sun-News]