In Kapilvastu, 623 people living with HIV have been regularly receiving ARV (antiretroviral) services from two ART centers. According to data from the ART center run by Kapilvastu Hospital, as of the end of September 2025, there were 823 people living with HIV in the district. According to Sanjay Koirala, Medical Records Officer at Kapilvastu Hospital, out of the people living with HIV, 490 have been consistently taking ARV (antiretroviral) medication. Among them, 219 are women, 220 are men, 15 belong to the queer community, 19 are boys under 15, and 17 are girls under 15. According to the hospital, four new patients were added to the ARV program in the month of September/October.
Similarly, according to Devaraj Chaudhary, ART counselor at Maharajganj Primary Health Center, the center currently has records of 177 people living with HIV. Among them, 133 are regularly taking ARV medication. At the Maharajganj ART center, Devaraj Chaudhary, the counselor, stated that among those receiving ARV services, 64 are men, 55 are women, 2 belong to the queer community, five are boys under 15, and seven are girls under 15. Data from both ART centers in the district show that so far, 1,000 people living with HIV have been registered, and 623 have been receiving ARV medication. ARV (antiretroviral) medication provided at ART centers works to reduce the viral load of HIV in the bodies of infected individuals, which in turn lowers the likelihood of transmitting the infection to others. Additionally, ARV treatment increases the number of CD4 cells in the body, improving the immune system’s ability to fight the disease. However, Chaudhary noted that some from queer community discontinue ARV medication while traveling for seasonal work, and some infected individuals engage in risky behaviors, posing additional challenges.
Health professionals suggest that people living with HIV should remain in contact with ART centers, as mandatory baseline monitoring and various health tests are conducted every six months. Among those receiving services at ART centers so far, the highest number of infections have been observed among individuals who travel for seasonal work and their family members, as well as among queer individuals and female sex workers.