By Sara QuamYou’d never know that the 32-year-old with clear skin, bright eyes and a pearly white smile has AIDS — but Nick Klein does."That’s why I’m willing to share my story," Klein said Tuesday. "AIDS is out there and it’s spreading and you don’t know who has it. I wouldn’t call myself an activist, but I don’t want people to have their heads buried in the sand."He participated in a panel on World AIDS Day last week at the University of Minnesota, Mankato."People think it’s in the big city or in California, but it’s here," Klein said.There are three HIV cases in Rock County and 11 in Nobles County according to the Rural AIDS Action Network. Those are the official statistics, which may be skewed if people move or report a different home address when being tested because of confidentiality concerns.Jennifer Weg, of Nobles- Rock Public Health said, "The numbers don’t show how big the situation is in southwest Minnesota. Part of that is because we don’t have local free testing available, so people do it in South Dakota or bigger cities in Minnesota."Also, it’s estimated that for every person who knows he or she has HIV, there is another person who doesn’t know.Klein is the grandson of Mary and the late Blackie Johnson, longtime residents of Hills. He went to elementary and middle school in the Hills-Beaver Creek district.Klein has been HIV positive for 11 years and has lived in Hills for seven years. Just last spring he got AIDS and started taking medication, which still makes him nauseous.Despite that, he said he feels good most of the time. He eats well, takes vitamins, and religiously takes his three prescription pills a day.He said the life expectancy of someone with AIDS isn’t what it used to be. "It’s a manageable disease if you don’t mess with your medications. … I plan on dying of old age," Klein said. "I’m way more optimistic about life now than I’ve been in the last 10 years."His viral load is almost undetectable and his immune system rating is increasing. He hopes to work full time again by the end of 2005."I’m still young and I want to grow in my life," Klein said. A walking billboardKlein thinks he contracted HIV when he was 19. He knows he got it from having unprotected sex.He found out he had HIV when he was 21. Then, dreams of becoming an English professor and marrying and having children faded. "I cried for four days," Klein said. "That first year, everything was flooded with thoughts of HIV."Instead of finishing college, he became a trucker, and he also made a living as a waiter and construction worker."I wish I could be a walking billboard for people to know what not to do," Klein said.He’s open about having HIV and AIDS, even when socializing or meeting new people."Sometimes people’s reaction is shock at my honesty," he said. Klein knows of some people with HIV who don’t tell others. "It’s just selfish and it makes me mad that some people don’t have a conscience. They sleep around because they figure they’ve already got it and don’t have anything to worry about."Klein said people with HIV still need to protect themselves even if for selfish reasons. There are different strains of the virus that they could contract, which are immune to some drugs. Different strains are harder on different people, too. Klein said his social life is pretty limited, but he enjoys going out. Observing people in the bar scene isn’t fun, though."You can’t tell me those people have been tested or that they’re being safe," Klein said. "People will lie, and you have to protect yourself. You can ask someone if they have HIV or have been tested and they will look you in the eyes and lie," Klein said."It’s all fine and dandy to think about it, but if you don’t do anything, what’s the point?"Klein compares his outlook on life to that of someone who survives cancer or a heart attack."It’s actually bettered my life because I cut all the crap out. It’s made me a better person and I can say I stop to smell the roses."