Local organizations have been passing out red ribbons this past week for today.

The red ribbons are for World AIDS Day, a day set aside to support those with AIDS or HIV and to continue to educate those who do not have information about the virus.

Today Riverland Community College, the Mower County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Mower County Aids Taskforce, Mower County Public Health and some area churches plan to observe World AIDS Day.

The groups collaborated to distribute red ribbons in the area. Riverland Community College Student Senate made 200 of them available during its Thanksgiving Dinner Nov. 24.

Student Senate President Todd Christopherson asked its members if they would be a part of the ribbon distribution.

"We feel its an important issue, an issue affecting the whole world," Christopherson said.

Christopherson said some students are unaware of the number of people the disease affects. Young people under the age of 25 represent half of all new HIV infection cases.

"We just aren't exposed that fact, I guess, everyday," Christopherson said.

One person in Mower County is infected with the HIV virus, according to Mower County Public Health records, but public health nurse, Dorothy Meyer, said that number does not reflect the numbers affected.

The numbers infected come from when people first report having the HIV virus. Those who were diagnosed elsewhere, but moved to the county are not counted in the public health records.

"We don't have a really high number, but that doesn't reflect the number totally either," Meyer said.

Since 1982, more than 6,600 people in Minnesota have been diagnosed with the HIV infection and more than 2,300 of them have died, according to the Minnesota Department of Health

Worldwide AIDS and HIV infects an estimated 36 million adults and children, according to the MDH. Since the disease began to spread 20 years ago, about 58 million have become infected.

World AIDS Day has been observed since 1988 and is sponsored by the American Association for World Health. This year's theme is "Stigma and Discrimination: Live and Let Live."

Elaine Hansen, director of the Mower County Chapter of the Red Cross, said AIDS and HIV had gotten a lot of media attention in the early 1990s, but since then has decreased.

"The idea behind World AIDS Day is to keep it in people's minds," Hansen said.

Meyer also said AIDS and HIV are a growing problem throughout the world.

"It still is (a problem) regardless of the new drugs," Meyer said.

Those with AIDS and HIV are still faced with discrimination because of the disease, according to the American Red Cross. Those recognizing World AIDS Day hope to dispel the stigma attached to it, according to the Red Cross.

"By focusing on stigma and discrimination, the Campaign will encourage people to break the silence and the barriers to effective HIV/AIDS prevention, education and care," according to a statement from the Red Cross.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com