FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPTAKE OF SODIUM DICHLOROISOCYANURATE (NADCC) TABLETS AS HOUSEHOLD WATER-TREATMENT PRODUCT AMONG CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN UNDER FIVE IN BENIN, WEST AFRICA.

Improving access to safe drinking water is a critical step in mitigating diarrheal diseases that affect millions of children under 5 years throughout the developing world each year. While the delivery of safe water is out of the reach of many countries, the utilization of Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) is a proven cost-effective alternative to prevent diarrhea caused by waterborne pathogens. However, its uptake remains low in many developing countries, such as the Republic of Benin. This study examines the trends and the determinants of NaDCC uptake in Benin. Population Services International and its affiliate conducted two multistage household surveys among caregivers of children under five in Benin to examine the practices towards diarrheal disease in children under five and identify the factors associated with the use of NaDCC in this population. 2912 respondents/caregivers of children under five were interviewed in 2009 versus 3196 in 2011. The proportion of caregivers who reported ever treating water with NaDCC increased from 5.8% in 2009 to 11.5% in 2011, p < 0.001. The logistic regression model showed that caregivers who knew places that sell NaDCC in the community; those who felt capable of utilizing NADCC correctly to treat drinking water as well as caregivers who reported to be Muslim were more likely than their counterparts to use NaDCC as water treatment product. In order to increase the use of NADCC among caregivers, the Government of Benin and its development partners should focus not only on making NADCC available in the community and informing the community members about the different points of sale, but also in building up the capacity and confidence of caregivers in utilizing it.

HIV Testing among Adolescents and Youth in the United States: Update from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the prevalence of HIV testing in a representative sample of US adolescents and youth, assessed the location and method of testing used during their last HIV testing, and compare the characteristics of those who had and had not been tested for HIV. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Data on adolescents and youth who participated in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey were analyzed. Of the 6,628 adolescents and youth who participated in the 2009 BRFSS, 54.4% were male, 59.1% were white, 37.4% graduated from high school, 29.6% live in the western states in the United States. Their mean age was 20.9 years (± 2.07 SD). Of these participants, 31.8% had been tested for HIV. The majority of adolescents had been tested for HIV either at private physician offices (38%) or public clinics (31.7%) compared to HIV counseling and testing sites (3.1%). Only 30.5% of adolescents were tested using a rapid HIV antibody test. Being female, African-American, Asian or multiracial, divorced/widowed, and living in the Western and NorthEastern states in the United States were associated with a high probability of testing for HIV. CONCLUSIONS: The low prevalence of adolescents who tested for HIV and the low proportion of those offered rapid HIV testing after the 2006 CDC's new guidelines about HIV testing raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts particularly among adolescents. More innovative strategies are needed to increase the number of adolescents and youth who become aware of their HIV serostatus.