Lay summary
Access to timely, culturally safe sexual and reproductive healthcare across the life-course is vital for wāhine and whānau to flourish. Distance to, and limited availability of, health services are major barriers for people living in rural areas. This is a partnership between Hauora Māori providers, researchers and a mobile, specialised service using PoCT for immediate diagnostic and treatment. We will conduct up to 50 days of events/clinics offering STI diagnostics, cervical screening and vaccination, early pregnancy diagnosis and care, contraception and menopause therapies. We will collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data about access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. Results from this research will have national and global impact, yielding relevant and useful findings for policy. The Rural Health Strategy specifically mentions The Bus as an example of a mobile service, and this research will inform scale-up and adoption of this model.