Microbicide gel: A major breakthrough in AIDS fight

In one of the most attention-grabbing sessions of the conference, the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa reported that a clinical study of 889 women has found that a microbicide gel used before and after sex could reduce risk of HIV infection by nearly 40 percent.  The findings are especially encouraging as six previous microbicide trials have failed over the past fourteen years. The self-applied gel could make it possible for women to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

杀微生物凝胶：艾滋病战役中的主要突破

在其中一场引人注目的会议中，南非艾滋病研究项目中心报告道，通过对889名妇女进行临床研究，他们发现妇女在性活动前后使用一种杀微生物凝胶后，其感染艾滋病病毒的风险将降低40%。在经历过去14年来， 6次杀微生物剂研制的失败之后，这次的发现令人精神为之一振，这种可自主使用的凝胶使得降低妇女感染艾滋病的风险成为可能。

The International AIDS Conference also launched the Vienna Declaration, (中文http://www.viennadeclarationchinese.com/), a statement signed by hundreds of doctors, experts and NGOs calling for decriminalization of drug use.  A number of speakers, panels and protests at the conference also called for the decriminization of HIV transmission and commercial sex work.  A growing body of scientific evidence presented at the meeting shows that decriminalization would be consistent not only with a rights-based approach to the epidemic but also with science-based public health principles.

However, there is some confusion regarding the differences between "decriminalization" and "legalization" - so here is a brief explanation.  

国际艾滋病大会上共有数百名医生签署了新发起的《维也纳宣言》，专家们和非营利性组织呼吁取消对使用毒品定罪。出席会议的许多发言人、专门小组和抗议者也呼吁取消对传播艾滋病与性工作的定罪。会上，越来越多的证据表明除罪化不仅和从权力角度出发抗击疾病的方式相一致，也与从科学的角度出发的公众健康规则相一致。

然而，在合法化与除罪化之间仍然有些令人困惑的地方，下面是对此的简单解释：

Echoing a speech he made in Toronto in June, Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, again called for the closure of compulsory detention centers, where drug users are detained for months or years without trial or due process, under the guise of drug treatment.

和7月在多伦多的演讲相呼应，全球抗击艾滋病、肺结核和疟疾基金会的首席执行官迈克尔·科茨特凯恩又一次呼吁关闭强制戒毒所。强制戒毒所以对药物治疗为名，在没有经过审讯或其他合适程序的情况下，将吸毒人员关押数月甚至数年。

New evidence that criminalization of drug use fuels HIV/AIDS

新证据表明，毒品利用有罪化加剧艾滋病传播

Consent and confidentiality: challenges in HIV testing

A growing chorus of countries, NGOs and foundations at the conference called for routine testing as an effective strategy for HIV prevention. However, a number of panels and sessions at the conference disagreed with this approach, suggesting that rights abuses related to drives to scale up HIV testing can actually undermine AIDS prevention.

同意与保密：艾滋病化验中的挑战

越来越多的国家、非政府组织和基金会都一致呼吁将例行化验作为预防艾滋病的有效措施。但是大会上，许多专门小组和专项会议不同意这个方法，并指出，和急于扩大艾滋病病毒化验相关的权利侵犯，将破坏艾滋病的预防工作。

Around Asia, internet users face several barriers to doing legal research. The barriers can be political, as the recent row between China and Google demonstrates. In some cases, developing countries do not have the capacity to provide internet access to their citizens.  Finally (and likely the most easily fixed), the barriers can be more practical: once you have internet access, how do you know where to search?

By Ken Oh

Last Monday, the United Nations issued a statement applauding the United States and the Republic of Korea for lifting travel bans on people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA).  The US ban had been in effect for 22 years, and the South Korean ban had been similarly entrenched.  Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, hailed the parallel policy changes as "a victory for human rights on two sides of the globe".