Stop the Spread of AIDS

Despite great progress, the fight against this disease is far from ever

On June 5, 1981, the public first learned of a disease that soon became know as AIDS. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report describing five men with a rare type of pneumonia. Two of the men had died.

Health workers were alarmed when other seemingly healthy young men developed similar symptoms. Scientists later realized that a virus had weakened the men's immune systems, allowing the sickness to attack. In 1984, scientists identified this virus and called it HIV.

Most people who contract the virus but do not receive treatment will develop the condition known as AIDS within 10 years. People with AIDS are in danger of having common colds turn into other sicknesses. By 1986, cases of AIDS had been reported in 85 different countries, making AIDS a global concern.

How is HIV spread?
Experts tracked the virus and learned that HIV is spread through contact with infected body fluids. This usually happens either during unprotected sex or when drug users share needles. Infected mothers can also pass the virus to their children during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding.

Abstinence, limiting sex to committed relationships, using condoms and only using clean needles are ways to dramatically reduce one's risk of HIV infection. Over the last 31 years, the war against AIDS has seen some success.

Advancements in drug treatments have allowed HIV- Positive people to lead longer and healthier lives. Recently, anti-HIV drugs have been shown to prevent healthy people from becoming infected. In addition, prevention programs worldwide have influenced people's behavior, with the rate of new infections decreasing by nearly 20 percent over the last decade.

So experts fear young people are forgetting that AIDS remains a fatal disease with no cure. And although medications have improved, HIV-positive people must take them every day for the rest of their lives. Also, since the drugs are expensive, many low-and middle-income countries may never be able to offer universal treatment to their HIV-positive citizens. That means some countries are at risk of losing a generation due to the lack of life-saving drugs.

Since that first report in 1981, AIDS has claimed more than 30 million lives. people everywhere, both young and old, should make stopping the spread of HIV a priority.

Many challenges remain
Despite these successes, more than 7,000 new HIV infections occur every day globally - more than half involving people under the age of 25.

Grammar Tips:
People everywhere, both young and old should make stopping the spread of the HIV a priority.
People everywhere, both young and old.
subject + everywhere, (comma) both adjective and adjective.
According to the new law, citizens everywhere, both rich and poor, have to pay the additional tax.
Elementary shools everywhere, both public and private, will benefit from the extra government funding.

Vocabulary Tips:
HIV = human immunodeficiency virus.
symptom - 症状。症候
*A high temperature and headaches are common symptoms of this disease.
*The symptoms of the stomach flu might last for a week.
*The medicine can help ease the symptoms of the infection.
immune-免疫
*The ones who already got infected will now be immune to the disease.
*A healthy diet can help strengthen your immune system.
abstinence (from)-禁欲，戒酒, 节制 not to do something.
*The speaker preached about abstinence among teenagers and they appreciated his lessons.
*After months of abstinence from alcohol, he looked wonderful.
blood, substance.
advancement-前进，进展，有进步。 advance- 前进，在前的。improve, moving forward.
*This finding is considered a significant advancement in curing liver cancer.
*The advancement of this tennis player's ranking is due to intense training.
positive-确实的，确信的。此指“测验或病毒呈阳性。
HIV-positive :
anti-body positive : 有抗体
*THe swimmer tested postive for steroids and was suspended from the competition. 类固醇。
priority -优先考量的，
*Taking care of the baby is Molly's top priority for now.
priority -优先性，优先次序，通常用复数 priorities
*You have to get your priorities right before you make this career change.

Chat Room:
contract (n)-（ 'contract） 合同，契约
contract (v)-（ con'tract） 感染，感染到 Use this word for catch a serious disease. Caught a cold, we don't say contract a cold.
He contracted malaria in Africa. 感染到疟疾 （ma'laria)
Most people who contract the virus but do not receive treatment will develop the condition known as AIDS within 10 years.
Catch a cold - He caught a cold over the weekend.
come down with （片语） = catch. He came down with a cold over the weekend.
---------------------------------------------------------
Over the last 31 years, the war against AIDS has seen some success.
war-指大规模的，全面性的抵抗
battle-个人的博斗。
war on poverty- 抵抗贫穷的运动
war on drugs- 反毒运动
battle with drug addiction. 个人对抗吸毒，毒瘾。