The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of probative value in the January 2018 medical opinion, which questioned the credibility of the Veteran's report of having engaged in unprotected sex with an individual during service who was diagnosed with HIV and/or AIDS. The Board now requires a supplemental medical opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s HIV was incurred during his active military service or is otherwise related to his period of service from 1984 to 1986.
The deciding factor: The January 2018 clinician's opinion appears to question the veracity of the Veteran's report of a homosexual experience in service, rendering it less probative.
- Claimed conditions
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20030193
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20030193.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran contracted HIV during his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: 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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