VOA慢速英语:How Early Treatment Can Limit the Spread of HIV

For people infected with HIV, the earlier they start treatment, the better -- and better not just for them. A new study shows that early treatment greatly reduces the risk that the partner of an infected person will also get infected. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
对于染上艾滋病病毒的患者，越早进行治疗越好——不只对他们自己更好。一项新的研究表明，对艾滋病进行早期治疗，可以极大减少患者伴侣也染上艾滋病病毒的风险。HIV是引起艾滋病的病毒。

Dr. Anthony Fauci is with the United States National Institutes of Health which paid for the study.
Anthony Fauci博士在为这项研究提供资金的美国国立卫生研究院工作。

ANTHONY FAUCI: "Many studies have been showing that the earlier you start, the better it is for the person who is infected. This study shows that not only is it better for the person who is infected, but it helps that person from transmitting to the person that's their sexual partner, heterosexual partner."
Anthony Fauci：“许多研究已经表明，越早进行治疗，对患者越好。这个研究表明这不只对患者更好，而且帮助患者不把病毒传染给他们的配偶或异性伴侣。”

Researchers cannot say if the results would be the same in men who have sex with men. Most of the couples in the study were heterosexual.
研究人员还不能确定这个结果是否在男同性恋者中也一样。研究中大部分是异性夫妻。

The study took place in Botswana, Brazil, India, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Zimbabwe. It involved almost two thousand couples divided into two groups.
这个研究在博茨瓦纳，巴西，印度，肯尼亚，马拉维，南非，泰国，美国和津巴布韦这些国家进行。约2000对夫妇参与，并将他们分成两组。

In one group, the infected man or woman began to take a combination of three antiretroviral drugs immediately after being found to have HIV. In the other group, the infected partners began drug treatment only when they started to show signs of getting AIDS.
一组人中，一旦发现染上艾滋病病毒的受感染男女，马上给他们服用3种抗逆转录病毒药物的混合物。而另外一组人，当他们开始显示出艾滋病症状时才对受感染者进行治疗。

The researchers say both groups received equal amounts of HIV-related care and counseling. That included information about safe sex practices, free condoms and regular HIV testing.
研究人员称两组人都得到与艾滋病相关的相同数量照料和建议。那包括安全性行为，免费避孕套和定期艾滋病病毒检测的信息。

The study began in two thousand five. It was supposed to last until twenty-fifteen. But researchers stopped it early because the results were so clear. Only one case of infection was reported in couples where the infected partner began immediate treatment.
这项研究从2005年开始。它应该持续到2015年。但是研究人员提前结束研究，因为结果非常明显。在那一组感染后马上进行治疗的，只报道一例夫妇受到感染。

Dr. Fauci says earlier treatment led to a ninety-six percent reduction in the spread of HIV to uninfected partners.
Fauci博士说，尽早接受治疗可以使艾滋病病毒传染给未感染同伴的几率下降96%。

ANTHONY FAUCI: "This is a powerful bit of evidence that will go into the thinking and formulation of guidelines and of global policy, policy by WHO, by UNAIDS, by the international organizations that help to provide drugs in the developing world."
Anthony Fauci：“这是非常强有力的证据进行探索思维和制定指导方针，而且是非常有效的全球政策，是由世界卫生组织，联合国艾滋病规划署和国际机构制定的为发展中国家提供药物的政策。

The study shows the value in testing and treating HIV before a person even feels sick enough to see a doctor. But in many countries, public health budgets are already stretched thin. In sub-Saharan Africa, the area hardest hit by AIDS, for every person who gets treated, two others go untreated.
研究表明当一个人不舒服到要去看医生之前进行艾滋病病毒检测和治疗的意义。但是在许多国家，公共卫生预算已经非常稀薄。撒哈拉以南非洲地区是遭受艾滋病最严重的地区，对每个得到治疗的患者来说，就意味着有另外两名患者不能得到治疗。

Antiretroviral drugs suppress the virus. Once people start treatment, they have to continue it daily for the rest of their life.
抗逆转录病毒药物抑制病毒。一旦人们开始接受治疗，他们就必须在以后的生活中每天继续进行治疗。