South African Company to Make Rings that Protect Against HIV

South African Company to Make Rings that Protect Against HIV

南非公司将生产可防止艾滋病毒的戒指

【听力音频】

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　　By Gregory Stachel

　　22 December 2023

　　A South African company will make vaginal devices that protect against HIV. Medical experts say that should at some point make them less costly and more easily available.

　　HIV is a virus that causes AIDS, a serious disease that affects the body's natural defense system, or immune system.

　　The Population Council is an international nonprofit that does medical research. It announced recently that the South African healthcare company Kiara Health will start making the devices, or rings, from the medical product silicone in the next few years. It estimates that 1 million could be produced each year.

　　The devices release a drug that helps prevent HIV infections. They are approved by nearly 12 countries and the World Health Organization (WHO).

　　The nonprofit group owns the rights to the ring, which are now made by a Swedish company. About 500,000 rings are currently available to women in Africa at no cost, bought by donors.

　　Ben Phillips is a spokesman at the U.N. AIDS agency. He said the ring gives women the freedom to use it without anyone else's knowledge or agreement.

　　"For women whose partners won't use a condom or allow them to take oral (preventative HIV) medicines, this gives them another option," he said. A condom is a device worn by a male partner to prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexual diseases.

　　HIV remains the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in Africa. And 60 percent of new infections are in women, information from WHO shows.

　　The ring releases the drug dapivirine in small amounts over a month. It currently costs $12 to $16, but experts expect the price to drop once it is widely produced in Africa. Developers are also working on a version that will last up to three months, which should also lower the yearly cost.

　　WHO has suggested the ring be used as an additional tool for women at high risk of HIV. Officials in more than 12 African countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe have also approved it.

　　WHO pointed to two studies in its approval, saying the ring reduced women's chances of getting HIV by about a third. While other research has suggested the risk could be dropped by more than 50 percent.

　　I'm Gregory Stachel.

　　Maria Cheng reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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　　作者：Gregory Stachel

　　日期：2023年12月22日

　　一家南非公司将生产可以防止HIV的阴道设备。医学专家表示，这应该会在某个时候使它们变得更便宜且更容易获得。

　　HIV是一种引起艾滋病的病毒，这是一种严重影响人体自然防御系统或免疫系统的疾病。

　　人口理事会是一家进行医学研究的国际非营利组织。它最近宣布，南非医疗公司Kiara Health将在未来几年开始使用医疗产品硅胶制造这些设备或戒指。它估计每年可以生产100万个。

　　这些设备释放一种可以帮助预防HIV感染的药物。它们已经得到了近12个国家和世界卫生组织（WHO）的批准。

　　这个非营利组织拥有这种戒指的权利，现在由一家瑞典公司制造。目前，约有50万个戒指免费提供给非洲的女性，由捐赠者购买。

　　本·菲利普斯是联合国艾滋病机构的发言人。他说，这种戒指让女性有自由使用它，无需任何其他人的知情或同意。

　　他说：“对于那些伴侣不愿意使用避孕套或让她们服用口服（预防HIV）药物的女性，这给她们提供了另一种选择。”避孕套是男性伴侣用来防止怀孕和防止性病传播的设备。

　　HIV仍然是非洲育龄妇女死亡的主要原因。世界卫生组织的信息显示，60%的新感染者是女性。

　　这个环可以在一个月内逐渐释放出一种名为dapivirine的药物。目前，它的价格在12到16美元之间，但专家预计一旦在非洲大规模生产，其价格将会下降。开发者也在研发一种可以使用长达三个月的版本，这也将降低年度成本。

　　世界卫生组织建议将这个环作为高风险女性预防HIV的额外工具。包括南非、博茨瓦纳、马拉维、乌干达和津巴布韦在内的12个非洲国家的官员也已经批准了它。

　　在批准这个环的过程中，世界卫生组织引用了两项研究，称这个环可以将女性感染HIV的机会降低大约三分之一。而其他研究表明，风险可能会降低超过50%。

　　我是Gregory Stachel。

　　这个故事是Maria Cheng为美联社报道的。Gregory Stachel为VOA学习英语进行了改编。

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　　本故事中的词汇

　　vagina - n. 女性或雌性动物体内从子宫通向体外的通道

　　allow - v. 允许（某事）

　　oral - adj. 描述你吃或吞下的药物的词

　　substantial - adj. 大量的，大的，数量众多的

　　reproductive - adj. 与生产婴儿、幼小动物或新植物有关或涉及的