Family Planning for Guatemalans Living in Poverty

WINGS seeks to satisfy unmet need for family planning in Guatemala by increasing access to temporary and permanent contraception. In 2025, WINGS reached a historic milestone by achieving nationwide presence for the first time. This expansion allowed us to bring free, high-quality, voluntary family planning services to communities across all 22 departments of Guatemala, including many that previously had little or no access to contraception. Today, WINGS operates through six fixed clinics located in Antigua, Guatemala City, Mazatenango, Quetzaltenango, Cobán and Santa Elena, Petén, alongside seven mobile units that travel daily to rural communities to deliver services through pop-up clinics in coordination with public and private partners. Our medical teams also provide tubal ligations and vasectomies in partnership with hospitals across the country. 

In 2025, we provided reproductive health care and education to 27,742 individuals nationwide. We performed a record number of permanent contraceptive procedures, reaching 5,065 tubal ligations and vasectomies, representing a 22% increase compared to 2024. We also delivered 6,125 long-acting reversible contraceptive methods, including the introduction of the hormonal intrauterine device. Given that hormonal IUDs are prohibitively expensive and largely inaccessible in Guatemala, this achievement positions WINGS as the first nationwide provider of free hormonal IUDs in the country, substantially advancing reproductive autonomy and informed choice. 

The total impact of the contraceptive services we provided in 2025 led to the prevention of 43,281 unplanned pregnancies, 246 infant and child deaths, and 20 maternal deaths, based on estimates from the Marie Stopes International Impact 2 model. 

Access to family planning is fundamental to breaking the cycles of poverty and inequality. When individuals can decide if and when to have children, families are better able to meet their basic needs, pursue education, and build more stable futures. In contrast, limited access to reproductive health services can increase vulnerability to high-risk coping strategies such as migration, early unions, or exploitation. These challenges disproportionately affect girls and young women, who are often the first to lose access to education and opportunities when resources are scarce. 

Thank you for making this work possible. Your support has helped expand access to essential reproductive health services across Guatemala, reaching communities that need them most. Together, we are advancing a future where individuals can make informed decisions about their health and their lives.