The Veteran's HIV is found to be secondary to her service-connected PTSD. The Board also finds that new and material evidence has been received to reopen her claims for low back and right knee disabilities, but does not provide a specific disposition on these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board resolves any reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding her HIV diagnosis being secondary to her service-connected PTSD symptoms, including reported sexual promiscuity resulting from military sexual trauma. The new and material evidence has been received for her low back and right knee disabilities but does not provide a specific disposition on these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Low back disability, Right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20029429
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 20029429.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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