2007年VOA标准英语-Women Gain Greater Control Over Menstruation, C

By Carol Pearson
Washington
25 May 2007
 

Women who do not want children, and those who do, are both getting new help. The U.S. government has approved a birth control pill that eliminates menstrual cycles, and it also has approved a product to help women who want to conceive.  VOA 's Carol Pearson has more.

Many women have painful monthly menstrual cycles.  Others simply find the cycles inconvenient¹. Soon they will be able to choose to eliminate them altogether. Rosa Nolasco participated in the study of a pill that does that.

"I get lots of severe cramps² and start eating like crazy," she said. "When I was on the pill, it was none of that stuff. I was like, 'Wow!'"

Lybrel is a low dose birth control pill, like many others already available. But those other pill packets include seven sugar pills that women take to help them keep track of their monthly medication. The difference with Lybrel is women take the real drug every day.

Gynecologist Anne Davis says there is no down side to not having a period. "It's safe.  It works, and it works for birth control," explained Dr. Davis.  "It's effective for birth control.  And for [certain] women, it really will provide some real relief from menstrual problems like pain and heavy bleeding with the menstrual period."

Lybrel, made by the company Wyeth, may not totally eliminate bleeding or spotting. The company's own study shows that after a year of taking Lybrel, about 4 out of 10 women still had some bleeding or spotting.

In a separate development, there is also help for those who want to get pregnant. There is no guarantee that it works, but the U.S. government has decided³ that a new device - a cervical conception cap - does no harm to women who prefer a low-tech, inexpensive method to help with conception.

Dr. Janette Walker explained how it works once the sperm⁴ has been placed in the cap. "You pinch it shut, and then you place it vaginally, up against your cervix, and then it stays against your cervix for six to eight hours," she said.

Another fertility specialist, Dr. Eldon Shriock, expresses doubts that this new method is effective. "FDA-cleared doesn't mean that this has been approved or proven to improve pregnancy⁵ rates," he noted⁶.

The maker⁷ of the kit⁸ has not yet conducted studies to see if the cap helps women get pregnant, but studies are being planned.

1 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

2 cramps   

n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚

参考例句：

• If he cramps again let the line cut him off. 要是它再抽筋，就让这钓索把它勒断吧。
• "I have no cramps." he said. “我没抽筋，"他说。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

5 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。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

8 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。