HEALTH REPORT - Tuberculosis and Women

HEALTH REPORT - Tuberculosis¹ and Women
By Karen Leggett

Broadcast: Wednesday, June 23, 2004

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Tuberculosis kills about two million people a year. The international campaign called Stop TB says this lung disease kills more men than women in most of the world. Yet it says tuberculosis kills more women than all pregnancy² related disorders³ combined.

And, in some cultures, women who get TB face additional problems. They may not be able to leave their families or their jobs to go to a health center that is far away. They may be required to have their husband, father or brother take them for care. They may also have to depend on men to get them medicine.

Women often get TB during their most productive⁴ years. They are having babies, caring for their families and often working in paid jobs. Most women who die of tuberculosis are between the ages of fifteen and forty-four. Often they die for lack of treatment or because of poor treatment.

Tuberculosis is especially easy to catch in places where people live close together. Most people who get infected with TB never get sick. But mothers who do, and are not treated, can easily spread the disease to their children. The germs are spread through the air when a person with TB coughs or sneezes.

People with active cases of tuberculosis have a bad cough. Other signs include pain in the chest and coughing up blood. Tuberculosis also produces weakness, increased body temperature and weight loss.

Some women worry about rejection⁵ by family members and employers if they have TB. The World Health Organization leads the StopTB campaign. Campaign officials say there is no reason to reject someone who has TB. They say it is important to know that tuberculosis can be cured. People must take medicine for several months. But doctors say a person taking the medicine stops infecting others in about two weeks.

Women may be concerned about taking tuberculosis drugs if they are pregnant⁶. But experts at the American Centers for Disease Control advise them to continue treatment. And the women should get their treatment from a trained doctor or health care worker. That way they know they are taking the right medicine.

The C.D.C also says women who take TB drugs can continue to breastfeed their babies. This is important for the development of natural defenses in babies.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Karen Leggett.

1 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

2 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。

3 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

5 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

6 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。