LYNCHBURG, Va. – Horizon has issued a retraction after releasing information regarding a rise in HIV-positive cases in Lynchburg.
You can find the retraction below:
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On October 11, 2022 Horizon announced the launch of an HIV awareness and prevention campaign in response to an uptick in HIV cases in the Lynchburg area. Horizon would like to formally retract the press release, and the content there within, distributed on October 11, 2022 until a formal data report is produced by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to substantiate the recent rise in HIV cases locally.
Gabriella Smith, director of communications and community engagement
If you or someone you know would like to know your HIV status, you can call Horizon Behavioral Health at 434-382-8649 to schedule an appointment.
Free, confidential testing will be available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to all central Virginia residents, regardless of age, income, or insurance status.
For more information, visit www.horizonbh.org/know-your-status.
Data analysts at the Virginia Department of Health are reporting a rise in HIV-positive cases in the City of Lynchburg.
“The caseload is not as prevalent as what we see in Northern Virginia or Virginia Beach but still notable considering Lynchburg is usually pretty quiet as far as HIV rates go,” a source from the VDH explained.
Positive cases were reported in both women and men of the college population and the African American community.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, populations at greatest risk include gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities, injection drug users and transgender individuals. When considering racial/ethnic populations in the United States, African Americans are the most affected by far, data from the CDC shows.
“HIV is a serious condition that can affect people of all ages, genders and sexual orientations. Though around 40,000 people are diagnosed with HIV in the United States every year, as many as one in eight people living with HIV don’t know they have it (CDC),” Horizon Behavioral Health (HBH) said.
Due to the rise in cases, HBH will be launching an HIV awareness and prevention campaign in the City of Lynchburg with $10,000 in funding from the Virginia Department of Health.
If you or someone you know would like to know your HIV status, you can call Horizon Behavioral Health at 434-382-8649 to schedule an appointment.
Free, confidential testing will be available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to all central Virginia residents, regardless of age, income, or insurance status.
For more information, visit www.horizonbh.org/know-your-status.