VOA标准英语2010年-Promising New Gel to Prevent HIV Infec

South African researchers have made a scientific breakthrough in the fight against AIDS with a vaginal gel that significantly reduces a woman's risk of being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.  Experts say the gel could be a revolutionary prevention tool, empowering women to protect themselves against partners who refuse to use condoms.

Since the AIDS epidemic¹ began nearly 30 years ago, scientists have been searching for a vaginal microbicide that women could use to protect them from contracting HIV.

Now South African scientists Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim with the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), say their clinical trials on 889 South African women show great promise.  USAID helped to fund their study.

Quarraisha Abool Karim spoke² with VOA about the findings.

"What we found in the study was that that women who were assigned to the tenofovir gel arm had 39 percent protection against getting infected compared to the placebo³ group," Dr. Abdool Karim said. "Those women who used the gel more than 80 percent of the time when they had sex, as we advised them to, had 54 percent protection.  So that is quite a powerful effect."

Dr. Abdool Karim said the studies are proof of a concept, but that more trials are needed before the gel could come to market.  But the hope is that it could be available within two to three years.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe is among the AIDS activists⁴ and experts celebrating the promising⁵ news.

"First let us say we need to celebrate," Sidibe said. "In 30 years of fighting HIV/AIDS it is the first time that we can talk about a prevention revolution."

About 33-million people worldwide are infected with the HIV virus - about half of them are women.  In Africa, more than 60 percent of new HIV infections are acquired by women and girls.

The new gel contains tenofovir, an antiretroviral drug that prevents HIV from growing in human cells.

Women apply the gel up to 12 hours before sexual intercourse⁶ and a second time as soon as possible within 12 hours afterwards.  Michel Sidibe says the simplicity⁷ of the gel will be the key to its appeal and effectiveness.

"This simplification is the revolution part," Sidibe said. "I called for a prevention revolution and I am so convinced that to fight this epidemic we need prevention, prevention and prevention."

Dr. Abdool Karim says there is still a lot of work to be done before women around the world will have access to the gel.

"Now we have to work on what is the next step," Dr. Abdool Karim.  "The next step is how do we get this into women's hands, what is the next set of studies we need to be doing to get us closer to that?  So until it is in women's hands our job is not done, and until we have eradicated⁸ [the] virus in this world we have lots to do."

The South African study also found that in addition to reducing HIV infection, it also reduced the rate of infection of herpes simplex-2 by 51 percent.  Women who have the herpes virus are more than twice as likely to contract HIV.

Health experts stress the gel is only a prevention against HIV and herpes, not a contraceptive.
 

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 intercourse   

n.性交；交流，交往，交际

参考例句：

• The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。
• There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。

7 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

8 eradicated   

画着根的

参考例句：

• Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。
• The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。