VOA标准英语2011--Hormonal Contraception May Double HIV/AI

Hormonal¹ Contraception May Double HIV/AIDS Risk

A new study finds that the use of a hormonal contraceptive popular with women in eastern and southern Africa doubles their risk of becoming infected with HIV. And when it is used by HIV-infected women, it doubles the risk they will infect their male partners. The large study was conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - has been spread mainly through heterosexual sex.
For those women in sub-Saharan Africa who use a hormonal type of birth control, the most popular form is a hormone² shot. It allows them to space their children, does not require travel to a doctor and is effective for three months at a time. But now, a significant new study shows this method of birth control could be helping³ to spread HIV and AIDS across a continent with the biggest HIV-infected population on the planet.
The study involved nearly 4,000 heterosexual couples from sub-Saharan Africa. In each couple, either the man or the woman was already infected with HIV. The researchers tested the couples for HIV over a two-year period. The results: non-infected women getting the birth-control shots had double the risk of getting HIV. And the healthy men whose female partners had HIV were twice as likely to become infected.
One of the researchers - Renee Heffron from the University of Washington - spoke⁴ to us from Kenya via Skype.
"It’s really important that women continue to use hormonal contraceptives, but that they understand the importance of using condoms when they are using hormonal contraceptives, and that hormonal contraceptives don’t protect them against HIV, and in fact, may increase their risk."
Hormonal contraception includes both birth control pills and injections, but this study focused on injectable contraceptives. The researchers said their findings were the same for women who used birth control pills, but that sample was very small, and more studies need to be done.
The study included only women from Africa, but it's likely the results could apply to women in other regions as well. The World Health Organization has called a meeting in January to evaluate the study and re-think its advice to women about hormonal contraceptives. Pfizer, the drug company that makes the branded version of the hormone shot, has been quoted as saying it is reviewing the study. Pfizer officials were not immediately available for further comment.

1 hormonal   

adj.激素的

参考例句：

• Some viral diseases are more severe during pregnancy, probably tecause of hormonal changes. 有些病毒病在妊娠期间比较严重，可能是由于激素变化引起的。
• She underwent surgical intervention and a subsequent short period of hormonal therapy. 他接受外科手术及随后短暂荷尔蒙治疗。

2 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 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。