2007年VOA标准英语-Study: Common Sexually-Transmitted Virus Found

By David McAlary
Washington
28 February 2007

watch Barry Unger HPV report

A sexually-transmitted virus that is a leading cause of female cancer deaths in developing countries is also very prevalent in the United States. It is the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer. As VOA's David McAlary reports, a new government study shows that one in four American women have it.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) assembled from the L1 protein of Human Papillomavirus 16

The World Health Organization says human papillomavirus is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Every year, nearly 300,000 women die from the cervical cancer that some HPV strains cause.

Eighty percent of HPV cases occur in developing countries, but research from the U.S. government's Centers for Disease Control reveals that American women are also highly susceptible¹.

"More women have HPV infection than we previously² thought," said Centers for Disease Control physician Eileen Dunne. She estimated U.S. human papillomavirus rates by using health data from more than 2,000 women ages 14 to 59.

"We found that overall HPV prevalence among females in the United States 14 to 59 years of age was 26.8 percent. That means one in four women are infected with HPV. The prevalence was highest among the 20 to 24-year-old women. Almost half of those women were infected with HPV," she explained.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dunne says the number of HPV-infected women is probably higher than the study shows because it measured only active infections.

Dr. Ira Horowitz of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta is not surprised. He sees many patients with HPV infections.

"I see teenagers who have had intercourse³ with just one partner all the way to women in their eighties who have been exposed to the virus and now have manifestations⁴ as abnormal pap smears⁵ and pre-cancerous lesions," said Horowitz.

There are hundreds of kinds of HPV infections that do not cause cervical cancer. Dr. Dunne at the Centers for Disease Control says most women clear them, but some types remain to lead to the cancer.

"3.4 percent of women had infection with the types of HPV that could be prevented by the HPV vaccine⁶," said Dunne.

A new vaccine covers the two HPV types that cause most cancer and two types that cause genital warts⁷. An advisory⁸ committee to her disease control agency has recommended it for girls before sexual activity begins - that is, at ages 11 and 12, but says it can be given as early as nine. The panel also recommends it for women 13 to 26 who have not received it.

Several U.S. states are proposing mandatory⁹ vaccination¹⁰ of young girls, but some parents object because they believe it may lead to earlier sexual activity.

Dunne says even with the vaccine, cervical cancer screening is important.

"Seventy percent of the cervical cancers are prevented by the HPV vaccine, but there is a remaining 30 percent that are not prevented by this vaccine," said Dunne.

Dr. Horowitz in Atlanta agrees, and says there are three ways to prevent HPV infection.

"One, abstinence; the second, using condoms or barrier methods, which is not 100 percent effective; and the third being the papillomavirus vaccine," he said.

1 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 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。

4 manifestations   

n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 smears   

污迹( smear的名词复数 )； 污斑； （显微镜的）涂片； 诽谤

参考例句：

• His evidence was a blend of smears, half truths and downright lies. 他的证词里掺杂着诽谤、部份的事实和彻头彻尾的谎言。
• Anything written with a soft pencil smears easily. 用软铅笔写成的东西容易污成一片。

6 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。

7 warts   

n.疣( wart的名词复数 )；肉赘；树瘤；缺点

参考例句：

• You agreed to marry me, warts and all! 是你同意和我结婚的，我又没掩饰缺陷。 来自辞典例句
• Talk about trying to cure warts with spunk-water such a blame fool way as that! 用那样糊涂蛋的方法还谈什么仙水治疣子！ 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

8 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

9 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

10 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。