“ Meet Your Gynecologist ” Terri Jones , MAK 16 ROMA S . O . S . – Prilep
SPA Grant Amount : $ 1653.62 Community Contribution : $ 571.80 Communities impacted : Roma women from the settlement Trizla 2 in Prilep
pcv projects
In 2012 , 27 Peace Corps Small Projects Assistance ( SPA ) Grants ( with financing from USAID ) were awarded to Peace Corps Volunteers in Macedonia .
On average , there have been eight to ten applicants per SPA round , with several rounds per year , and the average grant amount is $ 2,340.00 . Here ’ s a look at a few SPA projects of our current volunteers .
“ Meet Your Gynecologist ” Terri Jones , MAK 16 ROMA S . O . S . – Prilep
SPA Grant Amount : $ 1653.62 Community Contribution : $ 571.80 Communities impacted : Roma women from the settlement Trizla 2 in Prilep
97 % of women do not use any form of birth control .
Most believe contraceptives are unhealthy . These factors contribute to a high rate of abortions in the community .
30 – Pauza Magazine
$ PA P
Successes
Roma women in Prilep are not aware that their health rights have been affected by changes to the Fund for Health Insurance that went into effect on September 1 , 2011 . This SPA project set out to collect relevant data on how Roma women exercise their right to have a primary gynecologist and a free PAP test , as authorized by an ongoing campaign first implemented by the Ministry of Health in April 2012 .
A key activity of this project was conducting door to door research where 400 Roma women from the settlement Trizla 2 in Prilep were interviewed about issues related to their general and reproductive health . For the purpose of collecting data through surveys , a contract was made with a female member of the Roma community experienced in conducting interviews .
The interview included questions for women about their general and gynecological health , their knowledge of gynecological services and fees charged for those services , and their level of knowledge regarding the importance of caring for their gynecological health .
I was startled by the number of women who thought they had a registered gynecologist , when in fact they don ’ t , resulting in a number of women being charged for a service that should be free to them .
I was also alarmed by the number of women who do not have accurate information about their gynecological health . A majority stated they are familiar with what is involved in a gynecological exam and why they are important , yet they didn ’ t know what a PAP test is and don ’ t think they ever had one .
97 % of women do not use any form of birth control . Most believe contraceptives are unhealthy . These factors contribute to a high rate of abortions in the community .
As a result of the research , Roma women who were unsure if they had a registered primary gynecologist came to the office of ROMA S . O . S . Prilep with their health booklets in order to check online to see if they have one . Those women who didn ’ t have a registered gynecologist were directed to register , and those that had a primary gynecologist were informed that it is mandatory they be given a receipt if they are charged for an examination .
Some women had previously been charged between 100 to 1200MKD for an examination or were requested to leave their health booklets at the