評論
打印
Today the Surgeon General of the United States made his first major public statement about AIDS.
今天，美國衛生部第一次就艾滋病做了重大宣布。
He called for sex education in schools, and he suggested more direct ways to prevent AIDS.
衛生部部長呼吁在各學校推行性教育，他還建議采用更直接的方式來預防艾滋病。
Many public health officials have been making these same recommendations for years.
很多負責公共衛生的官員多年來一直在推行同樣的建議。
But as NPR's Richard Harris reports, the statements are something of a departure for the Surgeon General.
但根據我臺記者理查德·哈里斯發回的報道，聲明內容本來是這位衛生部部長所反對的。
When Dr. C. Everett Coop was appointed Surgeon General in 1981,
埃弗雷特1981年當選衛生部部長，有評論家擔心，
critics were worried that his ties to fundamentalist religion and his involvement in the Pro-Life movement
埃弗雷特跟原教旨主義宗教千絲萬縷的關系，以及他參加過生命權運動的經歷
would interfere with his medical advice to the nation.
會影響他對國家的醫療建議。
But today, Coop risked offending that constituency as he released a report on AIDS.
但今天，埃弗雷特冒著違背憲法的風險發布了有關艾滋病的報告。
"AIDS education must start at the lowest grade possible as part of any health or hygiene program.
有關艾滋病的教育必須盡可能從最低年級開始，這應該是每個衛生項目的部分內容。
And there is no doubt that we need sex education in schools
毫無疑問，我們需要在各學校推行性教育，
and that is included information on sexual practices that may put our children at risk for AIDS."
其中就包括發生性關系的知識，從而避免孩子們感染艾滋病。
Coop's report is in the form of a pamphlet. And in that pamphlet,
埃弗雷特的報告是以手冊形式發布的。在這份手冊中，
sex education in school isn't the only controversial issue Coop confronted.
學校的性教育不是埃弗雷特提出的唯一一個備受爭議的問題。
The new pamphlet also speaks openly about homosexuality and avoids value judgments about it.
這份新手冊還公開提到同性戀的問題，并且回避了有關同性戀問題的價值判斷。
The pamphlet recommends the use of condoms to prevent the spread of the disease.
該手冊推薦使用避孕套來避免艾滋病的傳播。
"When I'm talking about condoms, I am talking as a health officer about the protection of a person
每次提到避孕套的時候，我都是以衛生部官員的身份在講話，
throughout the passage of a virus in sexual contact.
讓大家避免艾滋病毒通過性交而傳播。
The fact that those condoms are also used in other circumstances to prevent procreation
但避孕套也會有其他的實際用途，比如避免避孕，
and to practice birth control makes it a difficult subject.
所以這就讓避孕套的使用成了很棘手的問題。
But in talking with even religious groups that are concerned about the use of condoms for the prevention of procreation,
但在交談過程中，就連許多介意使用避孕套來避孕的宗教團體都認同我的一個觀點，
they agree with me that the threat of AIDS to the health of this nation is sufficiently great
那就是艾滋病對我們國家健康狀況的威脅太大了，
so that we can suggest that this is an acceptable method of protecting health."
大到我們都認為用避孕套來保護健康是可以接受的做法。
Alluding to a controversial ballot proposition in California, Coop also spoke out against quarantines and mass blood screenings.
在對加州傳統的投票方式含沙射影的同時，埃弗雷特也反對檢疫和群集血液篩查。
The pamphlet also reassures the public that AIDS isn't spread by insects or through causal contact.
這份手冊還消除了公眾的疑慮，即艾滋病不會通過蚊蟲叮咬和日常接觸而感染。
It discourages the use of illegal intravenous drugs, but it does speak to drug abusers and advises them to avoid sharing dirty needles.
手冊不建議使用非法靜脈注射藥物，但也向毒癮患者建議不要共享不干凈的針管。
Coop said that the federal government will need to spend more money on education about AIDS,
埃弗雷特表示，聯邦政府將需要在有關艾滋病的教育上投入更多資金，
and he said his office has no budget to launch an education campaign.
他表示，衛生部還沒有這樣的預算，所以無法開展教育活動。
But when he was asked whether he had the support of the Secretary of Education, Coop replied, "Let's say I have his ear."
但當被問及他是否得到了教育部部長的支持時，他回答說，“我想他對這個事情是感興趣的?！?/div>
Surgeon General Coop said he hoped that his pamphlet will launch a new campaign to combat AIDS.
衛生部部長埃弗雷特表示，他希望這份手冊可以助力新活動的發起，從而對抗艾滋病。
Copies are available from the Department of Health and Human Services. This is Richard Harris in Washington.
手冊在衛生部內人手一份。這里是理查德·哈里斯從華盛頓發回的報道。
