世界节假日博览 第25期:国际避孕套日

 　　February the 14th is National Condom Day. It aims to raise awareness of safe sex and the reasons for it. Today we live in a world where unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS, are on the increase. This increase can be reversed with proper education, especially among young people. Half of reported STDs in the USA are among the age group 15-24. America’s Social Health Association encourages young people not to risk having sexual relations as the best way of avoiding STDs. However, it also recognizes that young people will choose to be sexually active and that it is essential to teach them about the importance of condoms and how to use them correctly.

　　每年的2月14日是国际避孕套日。该节日设立的目的是为了让人们提高对性安全的重视以及背后的原因。如今的世界，意外怀孕以及例如艾滋病等性传播疾病的数字正在不断上升。我们可以通过适当的教育，特别是对年轻人的教育来扭转这一增长趋势。在美国，患有性传播疾病人群中有一半年龄都在15到24岁之间。美国社会健康协会鼓励年轻人不要冒险，这样会避免患有性传播疾病的风险。但是，年轻人很容易发生性冲动，那么，教授他们如何正确使用避孕套就变得尤为重要了。

　　Condoms have been used for over 400 years. They were originally made from the intestines of animals. Since the nineteenth century, they have been the most popular method of contraception and birth control in the world. They have saved countless lives and have prevented young girls from becoming pregnant. They are widely accepted in many countries, although the embarrassment of talking about them has not yet disappeared. In other countries they are controversial and banned. The Roman Catholic Church opposes condom use. The demand for and use of condoms is growing rapidly. It is estimated people will buy 18.6 billion condoms in 2015.

　　避孕套的使用已经超过了400年。起初它是通过动物的肠子制作而成。自从19世纪开始，避孕套就成为了全球避孕和控制生育的最佳方法。它挽救了无数的生命，年轻女子的怀孕几率也有所减少。尽管，人们对谈论它还是难以启齿，但是它已经被许多国家接受。在一些国家里，避孕套还是被禁止使用的。罗马天主教堂反对使用避孕套。如今，人们对避孕套的需求正在与日俱增。据预测，2015年人们将会购买186亿个避孕套。