Leadership - Explicit System Priorities

8.1.14 Leadership - Explicit System Priorities

The study attempted to examine the relative status of HIV/AIDS, STD and sexual health with regard to the priorities that were understood or perceived by people working in the system. We also asked questions about the frequency with which HIV/AIDS, STD or sexual health appeared in any statements of system priorities or internal planning documents of senior management.

The replies indicate that HIV/sexuality education is not a high priority within the school systems. As well, the pattern of responses from public health respondents indicates that school-based sexual health promotion is not among the priorities of the public health systems. HIV/AIDS, sexuality and health education are considered to be lower priority than any of the other subjects in the school curricula. Within the public health systems, the health of young children is considered to be of a higher priority.

Yet, in both systems, there is an ongoing mandate to promote the sexual health of youth. Schools have mandatory curricula in health/sex education and include the healthy development of students among their core mandates. Public health authorities are mandated to promote the health of youth. The most obvious setting in the community to reach all youth is through the schools. The following responses to several questions illustrate the relative priority assigned to HIV/sexual health by both systems.

The first questions in this regard asked if HIV/AIDS, STD or sexuality appeared in any formal statements of the priorities of the system. Within the public health system, sexual health was a priority but not within the school systems.

Figure 48

Figure 49

All of the respondents were asked their opinion as to the level of priority being assigned to AIDS, STD and sexual health relative to other health issues, or to other subjects being taught in schools. The health sector was also asked for their perceptions on the relative ranking of adolescent health issues compared to young children, middle age population and seniors. Respondents were asked to rank HIV/sexuality relative to other health issues by stating their opinion whether these issues were treated as a higher or lower priority within their systems. A summary of these reported perceptions is presented below. In some cases, it was not possible to determine if the ranking was higher, the same or lower .

For health respondents, sexuality is considered to be a higher priority than most other health issues. For educators, HIV/sexuality is considered to be given the same priority as other health issues.

Figure 50

HIV is: H = Higher L = Lower S = Same U = Not Able to Determine

Education respondents were asked to rank the priority assigned to sexuality education relative to other subjects. Sexuality is generally considered to be a lower priority than almost all of the other subjects taught in school. The following is a summary of those responses.

Figure 51

HIV is: H = Higher L = Lower S = Same U = Not Able to Determine

The responses from health respondents on the relative priority assigned to adolescent health was as clear as the preceding results on curriculum subjects. The health of young children is considered to be of higher priority within the public health system.

Figure 52

Adolescent health is: H = Higher L = Lower S = Same U = Not Able to Determine

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