Lay summary
Current cervical cancer screening services are failing wāhine Māori. Working in partnership with Maraeroa marae, we aim to better meet the needs of wāhine Māori for the management of abnormal cervical smear results through a colposcopy clinc located at an urban marae based kaupapa Maori primay health service.
The introduction of HPV self-testing planned for 2023 should make primary cervical screening more acceptable for wāhine Māori. However, for this change to have an impact on reducing cervical cancer rates, culturally safe colposcopy services will be required to follow up abnormal screening tests.
Currently, women requiring colposcopy services need to travel to Wellington hospital, placing additional barriers in accessing timely care. With wāhine Māori and their whānau at the centre, our primary meausure of success will be derived from their experiences of accessing this innovative model of care. The findings from this study will inform culturally safe colposcopy services in the long-term.