Synonyms and Paraphrases

to infect

to become aware

rate

to be infected

alarming

transmission

1. Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, AIDS has spread through different coun­tries of the world at a speed (1) that is causing great concern (2). However, it is at present very difficult to prevent or even slow its spread – for a number of reasons. The first of these is that clear symptoms of the disease are often very slow to appear. People may carry HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, for more than ten years without realizing it. During this time, however, such people will probably pass the virus on to others.

mass

reliable

expertise

circumstances

capable

to diagnose

threat

to perform

2. If we wait until we can clearly identify AIDS in a patient, we cannot hope to stop its spread. We clearly need to identify those who are infected with HIV and who are therefore a danger to others in certain situations. There are blood tests that can be trusted to show if an individual is carrying the AIDS virus. However, here we run into a number of other problems. First, some knowledge, skill, and experience are necessary if the test is to be conducted correctly. Second, the tests are not cheap. Most developing countries will not be able to support HIV-testing programs for large numbers of people.

to transmit

priority

to consider

to become infected

to be reluctant

to attempt

3. One possible solution would be to try to identify those people who are thought to be in greatest danger of getting the AIDS virus. Testing these peo­ple would then be the thing we want to do before testing others. Even here, of course, we face serious problems. Possibly the most important of these is that people in general do not like to talk honestly and openly about sexual behav­ior – the main way in which the HIV virus spreads.

estimated

resource

ultimately

to finance

impact

catastrophe

incentive

regardless of

immunity

alternative

4. At the end of a long process of research, scientists may be able to develop a vaccine that will provide some protection against AIDS. In the meantime, however, we need to use all that is available to help ourselves in order to slow the infection rate for HIV. We have no other choice. To do less would be to accept a world health disaster that in its effect could equal the Black Death of history, the bubonic plague which killed about 25 million Europeans (about one-quarter of the population) in the fourteenth century. This horrifying possi­bility should be the encouragement we need to develop and provide money for programs of HIV-testing and AIDS education no matter how much they cost.