The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for genital herpes and remanded the issue of a higher initial rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support an earlier effective date as there is no record of any formal or informal claim prior to June 30, 2021. A remand was necessary to obtain more current information regarding the severity of the Veteran's genital herpes during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- genital herpes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25042996
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 denied service connection for hearing loss, a bladder condition, and various other conditions including psychiatric issues, alopecia, musculoskeletal problems, and skin conditions. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for genital herpes, finding that the Veteran's symptoms had their initial onset during her active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for genital herpes to cure pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disabilities, bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, digestive disabilities including irritable bowel syndrome with abdominal pain and nausea, pelvic organ disabilities, iron deficiency anemia, and genital herpes. Service connection was denied for acne, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, painful joints, left shin splints, right shin splints, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory infection, GERD, PTSD, anxiety condition, manic-depressive reaction, and psychiatric disorder other than unspecified depressive disorder with symptoms of suicidal ideation. An initial 50% rating was granted for the service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.