VOA健康报道2023--South African Company to Make Rings that Protect Against HIV

South African Company to Make Rings that Protect Against HIV

A South African company will make vaginal devices that protect against HIV. Medical experts say that should at some point make them less costly¹ and more easily available.

HIV is a virus that causes AIDS, a serious disease that affects the body's natural defense² 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 donors³.

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 pregnancy⁴ and the spread of sexual diseases.

HIV remains⁵ 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 pointed⁶ 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.

Words in This Story

vagina – n. the passage in a woman's or female animal's body that leads from the uterus to the outside of the body

allow – v. to permit (something)

oral – adj. used to describe a medicine that you eat or swallow

substantial – adj. large in amount, size, or number

reproductive – adj. relating to or involved in the production of babies, young animals, or new plants

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。