Body system: Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders, and Nutritional DeficienciesRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.88bDBQ: DBQ INFECT HIV-Related Illnesses
This diagnostic code covers HIV-related illnesses, which is when HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) has progressed to cause symptoms or other health problems. The VA rates this condition from 0% to 100% based on how severe your symptoms are and how much the illness affects your daily life. Higher ratings go to veterans with more serious complications like AIDS-related infections, significant weight loss, or when the illness affects multiple body systems.
Rating levels
- 100% — You qualify for this rating if you have AIDS with repeated serious infections that take advantage of your weakened immune system (opportunistic infections), or if AIDS has caused diseases that affect multiple parts of your body at once. You also qualify if your HIV-related illness causes significant weakness and ongoing weight loss that gets progressively worse over time.
- 60% — You qualify for this rating if you have ongoing constitutional symptoms that don't respond to treatment (constitutional symptoms are things like persistent fever, night sweats, and fatigue), along with diarrhea and significant weight loss that's caused by the disease. You also automatically get at least this rating if you've developed AIDS and had an opportunistic infection (infections that take advantage of your weakened immune system, like pneumonia or certain fungal infections) or cancer related to AIDS.
- 30% — You qualify for this rating if you have ongoing symptoms that come and go like fever, fatigue, or weight loss, along with diarrhea that happens on and off, and you're taking VA-approved HIV medications. You can also get this rating if your T4 cell count (immune system cells that fight infection) is below 200, even if you don't have all these symptoms.
- 10% — You qualify for this rating if you've had HIV-related symptoms that affect your whole body (like fever, weight loss, or fatigue), or if your T4 cell count (a measure of immune system strength) is between 200 and 500, or if you're taking approved HIV medications. You also qualify if you have depression or memory problems related to HIV that make it harder for you to work.
- 0% — You have been diagnosed with HIV but are not experiencing any symptoms or health problems related to the infection. You may have swollen lymph nodes (glands that help fight infection) or a low T4 cell count (a type of immune system cell that HIV attacks), but you're otherwise feeling well and able to function normally in your daily activities.