By John R. Besse, For the Tribune

Did you know that 2002 statistics from the Minnesota Department of Public Health reports that there are currently two AIDS cases recorded here in Freeborn County?

There are 15 AIDS cases in Mower County, nine cases in Faribault County and two cases in Waseca County.

The HIV/AIDS Support Group has been operating here in Freeborn County since 1995.

Two families who have been coming regularly have family members living with AIDS.

We know of 41 people who have died with AIDS just from Freeborn County.

There are probably more of whom we are not aware.

We list these names in our memorial service program we hold annually on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.

AIDS is still touching our lives.

It is not just some far- off disease known only in big cities and other countries.

The Freeborn County HIV/AIDS Task Force meets every other month to address the issues of AIDS.

The Freeborn County Department of Public Health hosts this HIV/AIDS Task Force.

Public Health is mandated to be the contact agency for all contagious diseases here in this county.

Initially, the task force was started in the 1980s when there was terror that AIDS would become an epidemic here in the United States.

Currently, the primary focus has come down to continuing to get education information out to the public. Another focus has also been to provide support for families and friends whose lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS.

The big event

the task force sponsors is the “Candlelight Walk” and memorial service held on World AIDS Day every year. People will gather at 5:45 p.m. in the parking lot of First Baptist Church. The walk begins at 6 p.m. and the service of remembrance/hope starts at 6:45. Fellowship and refreshments start at 7:15.

With the miracles of modern medicine, Americans with HIV/AIDS are living longer.

This is the case for the family members mentioned in the first paragraph.

Rural Action AIDS Network (RAAN) has a monthly meeting for people living with AIDS in Mankato.

Also, RAAN has been able to get case management services available to rural residents out of LeSueur.

Rochester, through the Mayo Health Care System, also has case management services available for people who have AIDS.

RAAN also reports a 10.4-percent increase in AIDS cases in south central Minnesota over 2001.

Forty percent of RAAN’s clients are women, which is higher than the national average.

RAAN also is having a statewide “Libraries Fight HIV/AIDS” campaign.

If you are interested in the support group because you have a family member living with HIV/AIDS, or have a friend with AIDS, or if you are concerned about people who are living with HIV/AIDS, please contact John Besse at the Freeborn County Mental Health Center at 377-5440, or Lisa Dugger at the Freeborn County Department of Public Health at 377-5100.

(John Besse of the Freeborn County Mental Health Center is the facilitator for the HIV/AIDS Support Group and a member of the Freeborn County HIV/AIDS Task Force.)