The Veteran's HIV infection is denied as there is no nexus between his service and the condition, despite his belief that it was caused by military sexual trauma. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions did not establish a link between the Veteran's HIV infection and his military sexual trauma (MST).
- Claimed conditions
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26027691
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 A26027691.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 HIV and AIDS, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's service-connected focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's HIV/AIDS is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for HIV/AIDS as the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for HIV infection, TTP, chronic right eye disability, acute bronchitis, sleep apnea syndrome, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) as the evidence did not support a link to service or any other valid theory of service connection.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.