Minnesota: Rural Towns Offer Free HIV Testing as Cases Increase

As part of a wider effort to bring HIV testing and prevention information into rural Minnesota, the Rural AIDS Action Network has begun to offer free testing in Willmar, Morris, Alexandria and Fergus Falls. Though HIV infection rates are still low compared to the metropolitan area, the number of cases in rural areas of the state is increasing more quickly than in the Twin Cities.

In observance of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, RAAN has enlisted the Minnesota Library Association and rural libraries to hand out HIV/AIDS information. In addition, red ribbons and bookmarks will be distributed at more than 80 libraries across Minnesota this week.

According to RAAN, the number of cases in west-central portion of the state alone increased 12.4 percent during the past year. The state Health Department reports that throughout rural Minnesota there has been an average of 32 new cases each year from 1998 to 2002.

In addition, new HIV cases in the state have been increasing after staying below 300 for two years, reports the state Health Department. Last year, Minnesota recorded 305 new HIV infections -- 32 in rural areas and the rest in the metro area.

"We have a new HIV case reported every 29 hours in Minnesota," said Dr. Harry Hull, state epidemiologist. "Providing people with knowledge about how to protect themselves against HIV is the only way to begin reducing these rates."

Rural Minnesota's HIV numbers may actually be underreported because people are not being tested, said Kirk Fiereck, counseling, testing and outreach coordinator with RAAN. "That's another reason why we're trying to get testing available," he said of RAAN's effort. "I think we're reaching people who are a little more underserved."

Fiereck said RAAN is trying to fill a void caused by funding cutbacks to agencies that provide HIV testing in rural communities. He noted that the confidential testing is provided twice monthly and the outreach clinics have been testing an average of 12 people each time.

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