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Why Did State Scale Back HIV Numbers?

The Florida Department of Health is pushing back against the Tampa Bay Times for criticizing a revision in the number of the new HIV cases in the state.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Department of Health scaled back the numbers after lawmakers criticized cuts to staff and spending amid an increase in new infections. The adjustment removed about one in four new infections that were logged in 2014, the Times reports.

A news release from the DOH says the numbers were adjusted to remove duplicate cases, and called the Times story “inaccurate.”

The changes took Florida from a national leader in new cases to being behind published counts for California and Texas, the Times reports.

Copyright 2016 Health News Florida

Health News Florida is now part of WUSF Public Media in Tampa, Florida.
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