The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's HIV/AIDS claim. The issues are whether HIV was incurred during service due to sexual trauma, whether alcohol and substance abuse is proximately due to PTSD, and if so, whether this resulted in promiscuity leading to HIV.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is necessary as there are conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of the disability. The Veteran's claim involves a complex relationship between service-connected conditions and his current health issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2016
- Citation
- 1615095
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1615095.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for treatment purposes only for PTSD and remanded the claim of service connection for treatment purposes only for HIV.
- Granted
The Veteran is found to be eligible for enrollment in the PCAFC program due to his severe and complex medical conditions, which require personal care services.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran contracted HIV during his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for HIV and rhabdomyolysis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty from April 1987 to August 1987. The Board found no current chronic disability, no in-service event, injury, or disease, and no link between a current disability and service.
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