It is unfortunate that diseases have always been loyal to us living creatures.

The unseen germs whose existence is hard to discern, can take down the strongest creature on earth. The lethal sounding viruses and bacteria show exceptional dedication to devastate our body and its well-being attacking us when we have never deliberately harmed them unless we were forced to. The unstoppable speed of the transmission of this virus flies in the face of all the medical geniuses in the earth. However, there are some signs of hope, as they have been able to invent some medicines to control the mighty virus.

HIV is a deadly virus, much dreaded today than any other virus, which is spreading by the minute to thousands worldwide. It attacks the cells of human immune system and has already taken lives of more than million people.

Even in Nepal, the number of victims of this epidemic is on the rise. As Nepalese society is not very open-minded about this disease, the victims have to suffer largely, especially women. In a more conservative society, the victims are boycotted, ignored and in some cases maltreated.

The major means of transmission of the virus in these women have been unsafe sexual contacts and drug injections. The trafficking of women to India is mainly responsible for the import of HIV to Nepal. It has been found that around 50,000 Nepali women are working in the brothels of India, their age ranging from 13 to 45. They have to suffer much inhuman treatment from the brothel owners and they are often trapped into drug addiction. When they are identified to be HIV positive, they are thrown out. The only choice for them is to return home where they will have to struggle for rest of their lives. Some may choose not to tell anyone that they have HIV, get married and even have children. This puts the husband and child at risk. Some may continue the sex work, as they have no skills to make a living.

Another means of import of HIV is the Nepali men who go across the borders to find work. Away from home, they might indulge in sexual contacts with sex workers and contract the virus. On returning home, they might transmit it to their wives. Many housewives in Nepal have contracted this virus from their husband who have multiple relationship with other women, especially sex workers.

The lives of HIV positive Nepalese women are appalling as the society has a discriminative viewpoint towards them either because they fear they might contract the disease, they are ignorant, or they take these women for people with flaw in their character. There have been cases where a HIV positive woman was thrown out of the village or physically abused. The social boycott is painful and emotionally deteriorating. It might drive the sufferers to extreme situations where they do not want to live anymore.

Even when people know everything about the disease, they sometimes hesitate to warm up to the victims of HIV, no matter how educated they are. The condition is worse with less educated people. They consider the disease a touch of death.

People have not yet understood that it is like any other disease and its consequences can be controlled if a patient takes a good care of his/her health. A misconception that is prevalent among the rural people is that if you are HIV positive, you will die, soon if not instantly.

 Many awareness programs are operational to clarify the people’s uncertainties about the disease but the remote areas are still under the clutch of ignorance. Nepal is a small country with small population. That is why it is still possible to control the spread of this epidemic. One of the best ways to improve the conditions of HIV victims and create awareness in the rural areas about the disease is efficient utilization of the foreign donations. There are so many social organizations and non-governmental organizations(NGOs) working for HIV victims that if all of them sincerely dedicate themselves to whatever we suppose they are doing, the day will come when HIV victims will be able to lead a normal, healthy and dignified life without any scrutiny and discrimination.