Conclusions and Suggested Policy Directions
11 Conclusions and Suggested Policy Directions
This study has examined and reported on the status of policies, programs and practices in the school systems and public health systems of Canada relating to HIV and STD prevention and the promotion of sexual health.
The 50 major findings that we have highlighted in this section of the report are not an exhaustive treatment of the vast amount of data that we collected from all levels in these two systems. The technical reports, commissioned articles and electronic excerpts and summaries will be able to add more to this informed discussion.
Some will find that these findings are not new to them. People who work with and in these two systems will find their recent experiences reflected in many of these data. As well, we have noted that many of the survey findings are similar to previous overviews of Canadian sexuality education, to American studies and/or to case studies here in Canada.
What is new about this study is the breadth and scope of the investigation. We did not examine the schools in isolation. We compared the data and the questions between the two public systems that are most responsible for the healthy development of children and youth. This report also began by underlining that even these two systems are not the only factors that will determine and influence the choices our youth make about their sexual health.
We also did not rush to see what was happening in the front lines of both systems. We reported the results at the school level with those from school districts and public health units as well as those from the ministries. These two systems are indeed, systems. They should be understood to be such.
These findings have emphasized the importance of interministry and interagency collaboration. It is clear that the professionals and managers in both systems are being asked to do more with less, that they have had additional responsibilities added to their portfolios. It is problematic to call for more accountability when both systems are so obviously in transition.
But we must do so, because fortunately and unfortunately, these two systems must help a new group of young people each year to make the transition into adulthood. The decisions they make about sex can bring joy or sorrow into their lives. Canadian youth benefit from the schools and public health systems that are among the best in the world. This report notes those successes as well as emerging challenges. It is incumbent on schools and public health systems to improve upon the efforts that we report here.
To assist in the deliberations of decision-makers at all levels in both systems, we have outlined six major policy directions that we believe can lead to improvements in how these two systems are preventing HIV and STD and promoting sexual health. These directions are:
1.Focusing on higher risks.
2.Providing sustained and sustainable support for implementation and maintenance.
3.Improving the coordination between and within these two systems.
4.Clarifying goals and roles for both systems.
5.Monitoring and reporting results more closely.
6.Undertaking further policy-oriented research.