BANGOR – Sharon Paul was like most people in the first year after finding out she had HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

“I did think it was a death sentence,” she said. “I didn’t want to tell anybody because of the stigma that goes with it.

“Thank God I finally realized I needed to get in touch with somebody,” she added.

It was the women’s retreat that the Eastern Maine AIDS Network sponsors each year that brought Paul into contact with the agency, and with women like Jean Lavigne, the person Paul considers “my hero.”

“I found out I was HIV-positive over 20 years ago, the first year that tests were available,” said Lavigne, who did not live in Maine at the time. “My son was born, and he was very sick. I’d read all about it, and my husband was hemophiliac,” requiring blood transfusions in a time before blood was tested for HIV, “and I thought there was a chance I was positive.

“I had a sense of dread about it – I had to wait a month to get the results,” she said.

Contrast that with the 20 minutes it now takes to get the results of an HIV test using a swab on the inside of the mouth – no more blood testing required.

Lavigne’s husband died, and she has had periods of being very sick herself, but saw her health improve with protease inhibitors.

“I really benefited from them coming out just at that time,” she said.

Lavigne came to Maine with a lot of knowledge about HIV and AIDS, but still found the Eastern Maine AIDS Network to be very helpful.

“When I moved, the agency was helpful with contacts for physicians. There were doctors who didn’t want to treat us. Finding doctors who have that expertise was a tremendous relief,” she said.

Paul found EMAN helpful, as well.

“I had troubles with getting my medication,” she recalled. “They had good referrals.”

Paul now works in prevention education for the agency and does HIV testing there.

“She’s able to give people support during the testing that she didn’t get,” Lavigne pointed out.

These days the women are spreading the work about the Maine AIDS Walk that EMAN will sponsor with the Wabanaki Mental Health Association on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Registration is at 10 a.m. that day in front of EMAN at 370 Harlow St., with the walk set to begin at 11 a.m.

There is no fee to participate, although pledges are welcome.

Though people are living much longer with HIV and AIDS, Lavigne hopes people will walk to remember.

“In this community, we have lost a lot of people to AIDS,” she said. “If they were still alive today, they’d be walking in that walk. The work isn’t over – if you choose to walk with us, that will be showing tremendous support.”

Even for those not able to walk, there are ways to participate, said Suze Howe, operations volunteer coordinator. Volunteers are needed to help with registration, to pass out water and food at the end of the walk.

Services at EMAN have expanded during its two decades as an agency, Howe said. Among them are:

. Case management, helping a variety of individuals and families.

. HIV testing, counseling and referrals.

. Support groups.

. HIV prevention and education, including outreach to schools and other organizations.

. A food pantry, with the assistance of Good Shepherd Food Bank.

. Harm reduction, including a needle exchange program to reduce the spread of HIV through shared needles. “We do try to get them into some kind of substance abuse program,” as well, Howe explained.

For information on these and other services through the Eastern Maine AIDS Network, call 990-3626.