Military Health, Tricare programs - Army Times

AIDS

All prospective recruits, active-duty members and reservists are tested for the human immune deficiency virus that causes AIDS. If an initial test is positive, it’s repeated to confirm the result.

Would-be recruits who test positive for HIV are rejected for service, but federal law bars the services from using information about HIV or AIDS revealed during medical exams as a basis for adverse personnel actions.

Active-duty members with evidence of HIV infection in their blood serum are referred for a medical evaluation to make sure they are fit to continue military service. A member declared physically fit for duty cannot be separated solely because of positive test results.

Infected individuals are examined every six to 12 months to see if they have contracted an AIDS-related illness. Service members infected with HIV cannot deploy overseas, although they can deploy to Puerto Rico.

Infected service members determined physically unfit for duty are medically retired or separated. Service members who are at or close to retirement age may retire with the pay and military medical benefits they have earned.

Military officials are required to notify individuals who are at risk of infection from a service member who tested positive for HIV. Among those notified are spouses, children (or their legal guardians) and any sex or drug partner in another military family, as long as they are beneficiaries of the military health care system.