Applicants with well-treated HIV cannot be categorically barred from enlisting

| August 23, 2024

A federal judge ruled that applicants for military enlistment, who have well treated HIV, cannot be barred from enlisting in the U.S. military. This is assuming that there are no other disqualifying factors. This ruling removed the last limits that the US military had that prevented individuals with this virus from serving. This same judge referenced her 2022 decision that prevented the military from barring HIV-positive military personnel from deploying outside the United States.

From NBC news:

“Defendants’ policies prohibiting the accession of asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads into the military are irrational, arbitrary, and capricious. Even worse, they contribute to the ongoing stigma surrounding HIV-positive individuals while actively hampering the military’s own recruitment goals,” wrote Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

In her ruling, Brinkema mentioned her landmark 2022 decision that ended the Defense Department’s long-standing policy of forbidding service members who were diagnosed with HIV after enlisting from deploying in active duty outside the continental U.S. and being commissioned as officers.

“Modern science has transformed the treatment of HIV, and this Court has already ruled that asymptomatic HIV-positive service members with undetectable viral loads who maintain treatment are capable of performing all of their military duties, including worldwide deployment. Now, defendants must allow similarly situated civilians seeking accession into the United States military to demonstrate the same and permit their enlistment, appointment, and induction,” she wrote.

Research has shown that people with HIV who have an undetectable viral load thanks to antiretroviral treatment, as is the case for the vast majority of people on HIV treatment, cannot transmit the virus to others through sex. Advances in care and treatment of the virus have extended the lifespan of people with the virus to near normal. People with well-treated HIV are effectively healthy. However, they are still at higher risk of various health conditions related to aging, including heart disease and various cancers.

Additional Reading:

Sopelsa, B., & Ryan, B. (2024, August 21). People with HIV cannot be categorically barred from joining the military, judge rules. NBC news. Link.

Category: Military issues

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Green Thumb

Wow.

Green Thumb

Missing out on a huge recruiting pool here. I wonder if they will get extra recycles in Ranger School?

Hack Stone

Well, with the Harris-Biden Administration pushing for transgender individuals to enlist, that was just what was needed to boost those recruiting numbers. Transgender Americans are just as patriotic and eager to serve as those evil White Cisgender Male Christians. This could only lead to positive outcomes for the US Military. 🥴

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

You left out the (/s) tag.

rgr769

It certainly enhances combat readiness when they won’t leave their buddy’s behind.

Sparks

Thank for that! I needed a laugh today.

Anonymous

They’ll be proud… pass the Descovy for PrEP…
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Last edited 1 month ago by Anonymous
rgr769

Having your ranger buddy with you in a freezing foxhole will have new risks if he takes a shine to you. Ditto for the squids who frequent the fan rooms when underway.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

Speaking of The HIV…..
Guess what country has the highest HIV rate in Europe?
The Ukraine. The war is only gonna make it 10x worse. Russia too. Especially with all the convicts and addicts that have been recruited.

Anonymous

But Type II diabetes (not to mention Type I) is still bad, right? (Not even transmissible like HIV.)

Last edited 1 month ago by Anonymous
MIRanger

Let’s get rid of color blindness and flat feet from Infantry exclusion while we are at it!!

rgr769

Hey, I have naturally flat feet, and they made me Infantry for over nine years. Anyway, that is what my collar brass signified.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

One of my friends was rejected for childhood asthma that he outgrew and hadn’t needed meds for 10+ years.
Another, for gluten intolerance.
This boggles the mind

MIRanger

So now the Military can’t rely on their own blood supply! Not to mention that you now have to ask your buddy as you are dying if he has HIV before he gives you a transfusion in the field…!

Just saying because the military has a high enough divorce rate, we don’t need people having to explain how they got HIV without sharing drugs or having unprotected intercourse.

Anonymous

There is a “compelling state interest” against this here if there ever was one; DoD should appeal to SCOTUS.

Last edited 1 month ago by Anonymous
President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

HAH!
You’re right.
But with today’s “woke” flag orificers, do you actually think that they will?

BennSue

On one hand, it’s great that we’ve advanced so far as to minimize HIV’s impact on those that have it. On the other hand, what the hell? They are subject to tons of other health issues. Disability payments are gonna be heavily expanded. Also, deployments are often high-stress with little rest or sleep. That tends to create havoc with well-maintained bodies. You’re trying to get your buddy going and he’s like “I can’t go today, my HIV is flaring up.”

Anonymous

Service-connected HIV? (“That’s okay; it’s treatable now!” ain’t something I want to hear from doc.) No f*-ing way.

And what if a sainted “inclusion” HIV+ transgender gives it to a local’s 8-year-old son? (Not good.)

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

That would only be a matter of time before some tranny fudgepacker gives Little Timmy the Anally Injected Death Sentence
But I’d be more worried about all the Pedo Pedros and Pierres that have scurried across Kumala’s border.
Haiti has the highest HIV rate outside Sub Saharan Africa and Venezuela isn’t far behind.
I’m sure they’ve never seen a COVID jab either;)

Last edited 1 month ago by RCAF-CHAIRBORNE
Anonymous

Military is supposed to be its own bloodbank.

Last edited 1 month ago by Anonymous
Jimbojszz

HIV contaminated blood for a field transfusion.
What are they thinking? POG’s in the rear! LOL!

E. Conboy

Newly added to standard issue: one riding crop per person! Some
folks think the military is a country club.

Anonymous

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Sailorcurt

“asymptomatic HIV-positive service members with undetectable viral loads who maintain treatment…”

Ok, but what happens if they’re unable to maintain treatment? Like, say, if war breaks out or they’re on remote duty and the supply of medications is interrupted; what happens to their viral load? And what happens to the transmissibility of the disease?

Just another among a long list of reasons to no longer recommend military service as a career path.

SFC D

Stop. You are not allowed to apply reason, logic, or use any logical argument as to why this is a spectacularly bad idea. You will be inclusive and accept the decisions of those above you who only have your best interests at heart and are far wiser in the ways of science than you will ever be.

E. Conboy

Back in the ‘60s I was hospitalized and my dr ordered blood transfusions,I was almost too weak to talk. When the guy got first one going and reached the door to leave my room, he turned around and looked down at the chart he was holding and said to me: .”Oh crap, I hope that’s not the blood with HIV I was supposed to dispose of !” and closed the door and left! Needless to say I nearly went crazy and started calling for nurses and doctors like a SAC alert!
Thankfully my dr was still present and discontinued the transfusion, and reprimanded the creep who nearly scared me to death but claimed “it was just a joke!”. After the dust settled, I was surprised later to receive a dinner tray with a most delicious steak tenderloin, potato au gratin, fresh spinach and tomato salad, strawberry shortcake, iced tea on a beautiful tray with a small vase of little roses. It smelled fantastic but alas, I only ate a bite before my meds kicked in and I fell asleep. Hub ate every bite… later told me it was the best hospital meal (b-u-r-p!) he ever had! Dr decided he’ll build up my RBC nutritionally, the old fashioned way…and did, it has worked over 60 years!
Hope you lovely ladies and wonderful guys enjoy a great weekend with your friends and families! Those times just fly!
Do I smell barbecue?
🇺🇸

Odie

It helps if you know your audience when making a “joke”.

Awful Cause C

Back in the ‘60s…
.”Oh crap, I hope that’s not the blood with HIV I was supposed to dispose of !”
Someone made a joke about HIV in the 60s?

Anonymous

Political decision due to fear or “woke” pandering.
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RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

Good point. The viral loads spike very quickly when medication is discontinued.
This means someone who is ‘ undetectable ‘ on Monday could be fullblown like Freddie by Friday.
This will make everyone suffer. Troops will be more apprehensive about performing First Aid on each other when gloves/PPE are unavailable (like, combat situations)
This will also backfire on the Rainbow types since they still make up the majority of cases.

5JC

Great. That is one step closer. Now they just need a drug waiver and/ or a prolapsed colon waiver and Bob’s your uncle. That will really help out the 0.18% of the population that is just banging down doors to serve in the military.

Hack Stone

Where does the “Bob is your uncle” come from. Heard Homer Simpson say it in a few episodes, but is it a reference to a movie, television show or comedy routine?

Hack Stone

The Internet; It’s Not Just For Porn, Anymore

One time Hack was wondering why the human body produces ear wax. Did an Internet search and did not find the answer, but according to Al Gore’s Amazing Internet, Asian earwax is different from Caucasian earwax.

https://www.straightdope.com/21344485/why-is-asian-earwax-different-from-black-and-white-people-s-earwax

timactual

Up until now I have always considered the acquisition and promulgation of knowledge for its own sake to be a purely positive thing. You have helped me see the error of my ways.

KoB

Oh FFS! Teh stoopid…getting stronger ever day. I think I need to curl up in my DD-214 Blankie and take a nap.

Sure, let’s put folks with a blood borne communicable disease into an industry where their very job description may cause them to be in combat. What could go wrong?

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

If say a mortar round turns a HIV monkey into pink mist.
The airborne blood and tissue could be more deadly than the actual shrapnel

Odie

So you can be HIV+ and enlist, but don’t try to stay in without getting an unproven vaccine?

I want to say AW1Ed (?) called it in a previous post, but the inmates are running the asylum.

timactual

I hesitate to be morbid, but what happens when you get into a situation where someone needs a transfusion and the only person around with the correct blood type is HIV positive? Such circumstances have been known to happen.

Anonymous

Leftists don’t care; only the ideology matters.

fuck_the_troops2
Fyrfighter

Exactly! Shit like this is why I struggle to understand how so many morons can still support the dims.. They claim to care about the country, but deny that shit like the above is what their party really stands for despite the overwhelming evidence.

QMC

Always good to end the work week with another reason to kiss my retirement papers.

A Proud Infidel®™

Now what, are they going to be forced to accept Diabetics and those with Asthma? IMO “Blowjob Willie” opened the door with his “Don’t ask don’t tell” promise to first start kissing up to that crowd, nowadays it’s “celebrate diversity’ which IMHO is really “celebrate perversity”.

Y’all excuse me while I go give my DD214 a big hug and a kiss, In my Enlistment Records from when i first went through MEPS, they still contain the question “Are you a homosexual?” to which the answer is “No”, but back then a “Yes” got one a Disqualification. I used to have a heavy prejudice against Gays, but it withered over time, but these days, the more they try to force their shit down my throat, the more I want to tell them to go fuck off in a hot volcano crater!

rgr769

Next will be a campaign to celebrate diversity by giving your bunkee a BJ. Or how about a carpet munching competition.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

” Are you a homosexual? ”
” No. But I’m willing to learn. ”
Then that turned to ‘ Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – Just take me to a motel!

Sparks

This is not going to begin or end well, at all.

Army-Air Force Guy

Project 100,000 is right around the corner……

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

The Very Special Forces

Odie

Jazz hands.

rgr769

Does the Army have enough short busses?

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

I heard they are trialing MRAP half-track short busses