South Africans at high risk of cervical cancer

    JOHANNESBURG, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequent(频繁的) cancer among women in South Africa.
    Recent information from a World Health Organization (WHO) and ICO Information Center on Human Papilloma virus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer 2010 report shows that 16.84 million South African women aged¹ 15 years and older are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
    Current estimates indicate that every year 5,743 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 3,000 die from the disease.
    About 21 percent of women in the general South African population are estimated（估计） to harbor cervical HPV infection at any given time, and 62.8 percent of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to HPV subtypes 16 or 18.
    "Concern is growing as there appears to be an increasing epidemic² of papillomavirus-induced disease involving not only the cervix but elsewhere in the female genital tract³ and anogenital region," said Professor Martin Hale, head of the Department of Anatomical Pathology at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg and the National Health Laboratory Service.
    The South African population and people from Africa in general have high incidences of the HPV subtypes 16 or 18 according to Professor Hale. He is not entirely⁴ sure why but is of the opinion that the infection rate can be lowered.
    "The common theory is that HPV is transmitted through sexual intercourse⁵. If treated like a sexual disease and the necessary precautions are taken during sex the infection rate can be lowered, " Hale told Xinhua in an interview on Wednesday.
    HPV is also exacerbated⁶ as a result of the HIV pandemic and cause a rapid progression of premalignant dysplasia to invasive cancer in HIV positive patients.
    Hale believes the limited access to information and resources make it easy for the condition to thrive.
    However, according to Hale, a debate is still raging on how, to whom and whether the vaccine⁷ should be administered.
    Black women are at higher risk of contracting HPV and subsequent cervical cancer. Other risk factors that increase susceptibility include age of first intercourse, the number of children per woman, and a weakened immune system, to name a few.
    "To avoid getting cervical cancer get the vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 infection before starting to be sexually active, have protected sex and go for regular screenings," he told Xinhua.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 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。

3 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 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。

6 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。