Crazy 'cat lady' parasite that decapitates sperm, affects 1 in 3, is grossly neglected: Study



Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can infect any nucleated cell in any warm-blooded animal and can cause a wide range of health complications — some fatal, such as miscarriage or inflammation of the brain.

This singled-celled parasite, which can survive up to a lifetime in a human body, is stereotypically associated with crazy "cat ladies" due to its presence in cat feces — cats are its only known definitive hosts — and its association with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidal behavior.

'Toxoplasmosis is just getting left behind.'

Despite its association with "cat ladies," the parasite is an equal opportunity invader. A study published last year noted, for instance, that the rapidly dividing asexual form of the indiscriminate parasite can "colonize and proliferate" within testes, decapitate sperm, and cause "oxidative stress leading to male infertility."

A study published on Thursday in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases warned that toxoplasmosis, the virus caused by the parasite, is not receiving sufficient attention from the scientific powers that be — certainly not the level that might otherwise be warranted by its impact and pervasiveness.

"Toxoplasmosis continues to be one of the most common parasitic infectious diseases affecting humans, and the leading intraocular infection worldwide," said the study.

Toxoplasmosis chronically affects nearly one-third of the human population and is present in every country around the globe. South America is home to the highest rates of infection, with some regions reporting up to 80% of their adult populations afflicted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 40 million people are infected with the parasite in the United States.

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Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

"Yet, the condition receives limited attention on health agendas," continued the researchers.

In a comparison of data provided by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, researchers found that "toxoplasmosis research was funded at a level of $177 per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) for the period 2018–2024, compared with research on trachoma and Chagas disease, at $283/DALY and $337/DALY, respectively."

"Key gaps persist across basic science, diagnostics, therapeutics, prevention, and implementation research," said the study. "No licensed human vaccine exists. Serological testing is widely available, but expensive for low-income scenarios and poorly standardized, complicating surveillance and estimation of the burden of disease. Treatment protocols lack robust comparative evidence, particularly for congenital and ocular toxoplasmosis. Environmental monitoring of oocysts remains technically demanding and absent from national programs."

"What we're seeing is that while there are these improvements occurring in the fight against other neglected tropical diseases, toxoplasmosis is just getting left behind," senior author on the paper Justine Smith, an ophthalmologist at Flinders University, told Gizmodo.

The researchers criticized the prevailing notion that the infection is "a zoonosis that is an unavoidable consequence of everyday human-animal interactions," stating that "accumulated evidence indicates otherwise: toxoplasmosis has well-characterized pathways of transmission and is preventable and controllable."

In hopes of addressing the "research deficit" and challenging the parasite status quo, the researchers proposed that the World Health Organization — which the U.S. officially withdrew from in January — officially designate toxoplasmosis as a "neglected tropical disease."

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NTDs are called "'neglected' because they generally afflict the world's poor and historically have not received as much attention as other diseases. NTDs tend to thrive in developing regions of the world, where water quality, sanitation, and access to health care are substandard. However, some of these diseases also are found in areas of the United States with high rates of poverty."

An official NTD designation would prompt the WHO to mobilize global resources to tackle the parasite and unlock new funding streams for prevention and control measures, research, food safety measures, and environmental surveillance tools. The researchers noted further that an official designation "would facilitate technical guidance for Ministries of Health, helping Member States integrate toxoplasmosis into mother-child health programs, food safety systems, and primary-care protocols."

"That sort of recognition translates through to researchers being funded to work on things like vaccines, diagnostics, and curative drugs," Smith told Gizmodo. "There is no commercially available vaccine against toxoplasmosis. And the drugs we give patients can limit a flare-up of the disease, but there is no drug that cures it at this point."

While bullish on the WHO designating toxoplasmosis as an NTD, the researchers conceded that doing so "could strain resources that are already limited and dilute the efforts underway in existing programs for other NTDs."

Infection with toxoplasma gondii can result from foodborne transmission, animal-to-human transmission, mother-to-child transmission, and blood transfusions.

The CDC says that to reduce risk of infection, Americans should:

  • freeze meat for several days before cooking;
  • use a food thermometer to cook food to a safe internal temperature high enough to kill the parasite;
  • avoid consuming unpasteurized goat milk, raw oysters, mussels, or clams;
  • cook or rinse fruits and vegetables under water before eating;
  • wear gloves when gardening or touching soil that may be contaminated with cat excrement;
  • wash hands with soap any time that they might be contaminated with cat feces; and
  • change their cat's litter box daily.

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Florida AG calls for impeachment after judge acquits mother who killed baby and blamed COVID



Precious Bland of Miami drowned her 15-month-old daughter Emii in a bathtub on Aug. 23, 2021, then proceeded to stab her husband — who attempted to save the infant — in the head and neck. When her stepdaughter tried to grab the drowned toddler, Bland slashed her, then proceeded to cut her own wrists.

According to a police report reviewed by CourtTV, Bland's husband told police that the killer had been ranting about how "COVID is going to kill us all," how Christ's return was imminent, and how she wanted to baptize her family in the bathtub.

'I’m sure that my family is very vigilant now.'

Bland, who subsequently spent four years in jail and additional time on house arrest while awaiting trial, was initially charged with murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated child abuse.

On Tuesday, Miami-Dade Judge Miguel Manuel de la O of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida found the 43-year-old mother — who admitted to killing her child — not guilty of aggravated manslaughter and first-degree attempted murder by reason of insanity.

This ruling prompted swift backlash from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R), who said that de la O's impeachment is in order.

"This was a bench trial. It's time to impeach this judge," Uthmeier stated on Thursday. "My office will be drafting articles of impeachment, and we look forward to working with all legislators who will support."

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Uthmeier added on X, "It's time to start impeaching judges in this country."

In response to Uthmeier's call to action, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted, "Time for the Florida House to do its duty."

The Florida House can impeach a circuit court judge for a "misdemeanor in office" by a two-thirds vote. The Florida Constitution states that an impeached judge "shall be disqualified from performing any official duties until acquitted by the Senate, and, unless impeached, the governor may by appointment fill the office until completion of the trial."

A spokeswoman for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida told Blaze News that "judicial ethics canons do not permit comment on pending cases."

During the murder trial, state prosecutors suggested on the basis of remarks Bland allegedly made to investigators that the mother of six killed her baby partly because she believed her husband, Evan Bland, was cheating on her.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Utset further argued that the killer's insanity claim was bogus — Bland had, after all, allegedly told investigators that she had never heard voices prior to the day of the killing — and that even if genuinely mentally troubled, Bland knew full well what she was doing when she drowned her baby, reported WFOR-TV.

"It's odd behavior, Judge, it is, but it's not legal insanity," said Utset. "The voices and the COVID psychosis are a fabrication and an embellished story."

Judge de la O evidently couldn't bring himself to believe that the defendant used insanity as a cover for a horrible and intentional crime, stating, "That theory doesn't make sense to me that she decided to do all of the things that she did: going to all the neighbors, calling her family members, putting the kids in the water, all of it because she was angry due to some perceived infidelity."

The defense argued that Bland killed her baby due to a psychotic episode induced by a COVID infection. Utset claimed, however, that there was "no clear and convincing evidence that COVID made this defendant drown her 1-year-old daughter."

De la O bought the COVID defense, however, stating, "There is zero credible explanation other than her psychotic state."

"There's so much we don't know about COVID," said Bland's attorney, Larry Handfield. "And this was the first case in the country to go to trial on COVID being the defense to murder."

While his client was apparently crazy enough to drown her baby and stab her family members, Handfield doesn't think her crazy enough to warrant institutionalization.

Handfield said on Monday that he is not looking to put Bland in a mental health facility, citing determinations from a pair of psychological evaluators that such treatment would be unnecessary, reported WFOR. Judge de la O similarly suggested that he didn't see any need to institutionalize the killer.

After her acquittal, the baby-killer stated, "God is good. This doesn't bring back my daughter."

"I'm thankful," continued Bland. "I love my children."

When asked about whether she trusts herself around her remaining children, Bland told WPLG-TV, "Absolutely, without a doubt, and I’m sure that my family is very vigilant now as well."

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Comedian claims his young daughter has trans friends — and Bill Maher shuts him down



Bill Maher has once again clashed with a liberal on his podcast — this time with comedian David Cross over transgender politics.

As the pair argued on Maher’s “Club Random” podcast about biological men competing in women’s sports, Cross seemed to believe that the existence of his young daughter’s transgender friends would be a winning argument.

However, Maher quickly responded with shock when Cross explained that his daughter’s transgender friends are 9 years old and 3 years old.

“I knew somebody who said to me ... a woman, said, ‘I was what they called a tomboy. If I was alive now and acted the way I did then, that’s what they would have done to me,’” Maher explained.


“Well, nobody’s doing this to her,” Cross said.

“Somebody is doing something, because 8- or 9-year-olds can’t do anything on their own,” Maher responded.

BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere and co-host Dave Landau are not surprised that Cross has adopted the opinions of the left.

“He’s in L.A., though, where he lives, so he is at the eye of the storm. So, I mean, if any of us lived in Los Angeles, our kids would have a friend who identified as trans. It would be almost impossible not to,” Landau comments.

“But I would hope, Dave, we would be able to keep our connection to reality and be able to say, ‘Look, that’s not a thing,’” Stu says.

“Three years old. This is insanity,” he adds.

“It’s a conversation that I’m shocked we’re still having,” Landau agrees.

Want more from Stu and Dave?

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NYT Finally Admits What We Therapists Have Known For Years: Weed Makes People Insane

Marijuana is not benign. It is dangerous. And it is long past time for The New York Times to finally admit that.

What was to be fun Florida trip ends in 'cold-blooded' triple murder: Elderly tourists dead, suspect earlier beat murder rap



A Florida man is accused of going on a killing spree and gunning down three elderly tourists during their vacation near Disney World. The suspect previously beat an attempted murder charge with an insanity defense, according to court records.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office said in a recent statement that officers responded to reports of a shooting near a residence in Kissimmee around 12:13 p.m. Jan. 17.

'It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated ... absolutely no issues.'

Police said they "discovered three adult males deceased in front of the home" and that "all three victims suffered from apparent gunshot wounds."

Deputies quickly located and arrested the suspect — 29-year-old Ahmad Jihad Bojeh.

Bojeh is facing three counts of premeditated murder and one count of resisting arrest without violence, according to Osceola County Jail records. Bojeh is being detained at the Osceola County Jail without bond.

"There is no threat to the community, as the suspect responsible for these horrific and senseless murders has been apprehended by Osceola County deputies," said Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon.

Blackmon told the Tampa Bay Times that Bojeh lived next door to the rental property where the tourists were staying.

"It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated ... absolutely no issues," Blackmon told Fox News. "There was no conflict between these people. This was just random. And this happened to be the person who lived next door."

After securing a warrant, deputies searched Bojeh's residence and recovered two firearms, police said. Police noted that the firearms were being examined to see if they were used in the fatal shootings.

Sheriff Blackmon described Bojeh as a "frequent flyer" with police and added to Fox News that he is "a threat to the neighborhood all the time," citing repeated calls for service involving the suspect.

Blackmon said the motive for the shooting is unclear; the investigation into the killings remains ongoing.

Fox News reported that the three friends — 68-year-old Douglas Kraft of Columbus, Ohio, 70-year-old Robert Kraft of Holland, Michigan, and 68-year-old James Puchan of Galena, Ohio — attended a car show together. Two of the slain tourists were brothers.

Families and friends of the slain victims released a joint statement to WKMG-TV: "With heavy hearts, we confirm the deaths of our beloved husbands, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and friends."

The statement added that the tourists visited the Mecum Car Show in Kissimmee and were staying at a local Airbnb rental property.

"While waiting for assistance after rental car trouble and preparing to travel home, they were being observed from a distance by an unknown individual who was well-known to local law enforcement," the statement read.

The tourists were "approached and senselessly murdered" in a "random, tragic act," the families stated.

"Our families are left with an unexpected, unimaginable loss that cannot be put into words," the statement said.

"We ask for privacy, prayers, and respect as we mourn and begin to process this tragedy," the families concluded.

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Previously, Bojeh reportedly was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder but was released back on the streets on the grounds of insanity.

WOFL-TV reported that deputies with the Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested Bojeh in 2021 for attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and two counts of criminal mischief in connection with an alleged shooting at a Wawa convenience store and gas station.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote on the X social media platform, "Prior to State Atty [Monique H.] Worrell's suspension, Ahmad Jihad Bojeh was acquitted of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery."

Uthmeier continued, "It appears she didn't put up a fight to Bojeh's use of the insanity defense, and he was allowed to go free." The attorney general added, "This guy, literally named Ahmad 'Jihad' Bojeh, shoots three tourists after being acquitted of multiple violent crimes on grounds of insanity."

Uthmeier also declared, "This is why I've proposed Florida's legislature narrow the insanity defense. Violent criminals should not be set free to hurt others!"

He also told WOFL, "If there's a risk of them harming others, we need to ensure they're locked up."

Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Bojeh was banned from owning firearms as part of his insanity plea.

WOFL reported that Bojeh was arrested in 2019 for retail theft.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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Democrats Are Lying to Themselves About Why Their Party Is Collapsing

Democrats now find themselves in an approval death spiral because their strategy invariably emphasizes style over substance.

Labeling you ‘phobic’ is how the left dodges real arguments



No one wants to be called a coward. But fear is a natural and important human emotion. It gives us caution and hesitance in situations that pose a danger to oneself or others. Nevertheless, fear must be rational, and it must be controlled. Being afraid of the wrong things — or being excessively afraid of things that pose trivial risks — can be crippling.

Despite being a core component of human experience, fear is stigmatized in our society. Americans, in general, tend to be risk-takers. We instinctively recoil at cowardice. So it’s strange that the people who are dedicated to “destigmatizing” everything in our society are the same ones who work tirelessly to amplify the stigma attached to fear.

Don’t accept the framing. Don’t let the debate become a psychiatric evaluation. Don’t apologize for noticing reality.

Here, I refer to a common trend in political discourse — the left’s attribution of “phobias” to political opponents. You know the epithets: homophobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, transphobia. Some may bristle at the claim that this fixation on phobias is a strategic tactic used exclusively by the political left. But it’s undeniable: What equivalent “phobic” label do conservatives use to discredit progressives?

We don’t have an equivalent.

Are we to believe, then, that the political left is without fear? Certainly not. Many progressives treat Christianity with the same suspicion that some on the right harbor for the LGBTQ agenda. No one calls the former group “Christophobes,” but the latter are routinely charged as homophobic. Globalists often disdain the nationalist politics of identity, referring to nationalists as xenophobes. But no one calls the Americans who disparage everything about our nation “oikophobes” (people with an irrational fear of home).

This double standard shows that the labeling of “phobias” is a rhetorical strategy. But how does it work?

Abusing the ‘phobic’ label

Start by asking who gets branded “phobic” — and for what. These days, it doesn’t take much. Express moral concerns about “gender reassignment” surgeries for children? You’re a transphobe. Feel fatigued by the endless parade of “Pride” observances on the calendar? You’re a homophobe. Object to the illegal entry of millions of unvetted foreigners? You’re a xenophobe — just another American unwilling to embrace people “searching for a better life.”

The ease with which the left assigns the “phobic” label undermines its credibility. Can someone oppose gay marriage without harboring fear of gay people? Can a citizen reject open borders as reckless policy without fearing foreigners? Can one favor vetting immigrants from Muslim-majority countries without fearing Muslims as a group?

Two answers follow. The first, and more reasonable, says yes — of course people can hold such views without irrational fear. That would make the “phobic” smear inaccurate. But if that’s true, why does the left cling so fiercely to these labels? The second answer assumes the opposite: that you must be afraid — of gays, of immigrants, of Muslims — if you hold such views. But if every opinion stems from fear, then “phobia” becomes a catch-all insult, not a diagnosis.

And yet the accusation sticks. Why?

Exploiting social fears

The power of the “phobic” label stems from how society treats fear. We treat fear not as a natural response, but as a sign of weakness or irrationality — especially when aimed at supposedly harmless things.

Admitting fear carries a social cost. Labeling someone “phobic” pressures the person to conform, not through persuasion but through social coercion. It’s a tactic, not an argument. It manipulates the desire for status and respect by suggesting the presence of a psychological defect. And it works — not because it’s true, but because it shames.

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Blaze Media

Are unvetted illegal immigrants always harmless? No. Most aren’t violent, but some are dangerous. Yet the “xenophobic” smear exists to deny that fact and humiliate anyone who dares say it aloud. Does importing large numbers of military-age men from Yemen pose no threat? Some Yemenis are admirable people. But recent history offers proof that some have come here to commit acts of terrorism. Labeling such concerns “Islamophobic” is an attempt to gaslight the public — dismissing valid fears and punishing the act of remembering.

Diagnosing as ‘crazy’

The label does more than stigmatize. It diagnoses. “Phobia” is a clinical term. To call someone a homophobe isn’t just to accuse the person of bigotry; it’s to classify the person as mentally ill. Arachnophobes are “crazy.” Agoraphobes are crazy. And society doesn’t argue with crazy people — it ignores them. Once someone becomes “irrational,” you don’t debate that person. You dismiss him. His views no longer require engagement. They require containment.

Attaching a “phobic” label turns political opposition into psychological pathology. It justifies censorship and marginalization. Ironically, the only people the left eagerly diagnoses and silences are those it brands with a phobia. So much for compassion around mental illness.

Conservatives must reject this tactic outright. Don’t accept the framing. Don’t let the debate become a psychiatric evaluation. Don’t apologize for noticing reality. Push back, not only by refusing the label but by highlighting the contradiction. If leftists truly care about destigmatizing mental illness, they should stop flinging “phobia” at every disagreement. Expose the hypocrisy. Force them to play by their own rules — and win.

Big weddings, bigger regrets: Gen Z says ‘I don’t’ to wedding debt



“What do you mean you don’t want any furniture underneath the pergola?”

’Tis wedding season, the time of year when nuptial excitement contends with a seemingly endless stream of design choices with a hefty price tag. As a bride-to-be myself, I have been astounded by the pressure to spend beyond my budget, as if not including an ice cream truck and a balloon selfie wall would make or break the entire event. It’s a winning formula for the wedding industry: Heightened expectations plus soaring price tags equal staggering profit margins. And the industry has social media to thank.

Gen Z is proving that a beautiful, meaningful wedding does not have to come with a hefty price tag or the expectation of social media perfection.

In an era when weddings are often measured by their Instagramability, many couples feel pressured to plan a picture-perfect day that meets the aesthetic standards of social media. The rise of platforms like Instagram and Pinterest has turned wedding planning into a high-stakes production, fueling the wedding industry’s ever-growing price tag. But as costs continue to soar, a new trend is emerging — one driven by a generation that is more financially cautious and less enamored with the idea of a fairy-tale wedding at any cost.

A wedding arms race

Social media has revolutionized wedding planning. With a single scroll, couples are bombarded with curated images of extravagant floral installations, designer gowns, and luxury venues. While such platforms can serve as helpful tools for inspiration, wedding “doomscrolling” has transformed a deeply personal and intimate occasion into a public spectacle, where likes and shares serve as the currency of validation. According to Forbes, social media’s effect of raising expectations — and costs — is making 60% of couples consider elopement over a traditional wedding.

Escaping the pressure of staggering wedding costs is palpable. The average wedding budget for 2025 is projected to be around $36,000 — compared with $29,000 in 2023 — with high-cost areas like New York City pushing that number to $65,000. Unsurprisingly, many couples are turning to loans and credit cards to fund their big day. One survey found that 56% of newlyweds go into debt for their wedding — an alarming trend as 34% of divorcees blame credit card debt and spending as contributing factors to their divorces. Is that really the best gift for newlyweds?

Rebelling against wedding debt

However, unlike Millennials, who embraced the Instagram-fueled wedding culture, Gen Z is showing signs of resistance. Facing economic challenges such as inflation and housing affordability, Gen Z couples are putting cost-effective celebrations over extravagant ones. The Guardian reports that many opt for smaller weddings, alternative venues, and even elopements to avoid unnecessary financial stress.

There is also a shift away from the performative aspect of weddings. While Millennials often sought highly curated, shareable moments, Vogue notes that Gen Zers are less concerned with social media validation. They prefer authenticity and meaningful experiences over staged perfection.

This has led to a rise in DIY elements, intimate ceremonies, and budget-friendly wedding choices. For example, some brides choose to do their own makeup, saving thousands of dollars compared to hiring a professional artist. Others prefer unconventional locations like back yards and public parks rather than expensive banquet halls.

Rethinking the wedding industry

The movement away from over-the-top weddings is not just about finances — it’s about values.

Weddings are meant to be a celebration of love and commitment, not a financial burden that lingers long after the last dance. While the wedding industry thrives on convincing couples that their big day must be grand and expensive, Gen Zers are beginning to challenge that notion. They are proving that a beautiful, meaningful wedding does not have to come with a hefty price tag or the expectation of social media perfection.

As more couples reject the pressures of an Instagram-worthy wedding in favor of financially sane choices, the industry may be forced to adapt.

Florida man accused of stabbing pro-Trump friend to death with trowel found not guilty of murder



A Florida man accused of stabbing his pro-Trump friend to death with a trowel at a construction site has been found not guilty of murder.

During a non-jury trial at an Orange County court last month, 34-year-old Mason Trever Toney was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, according to WKMG-TV.

'There was something wrong with Mason.'

As Blaze News reported in January 2020, Toney was arrested for the murder of his friend and his boss — 28-year-old William Knight.

Citing the arrest warrant, WESH-TV reported that police officers arrived at the crime scene to find Knight’s body next to an excavator with an American flag nearby.

Witnesses told investigators that Knight is a “proud and outspoken American,” who was “pro-Donald Trump.”

Toney was reportedly described by witnesses as having anti-government sentiments and believed “the government is bad and out to get him.”

According to court documents, witnesses said Knight picked up Toney to drive him to another construction site when an argument about politics, including Knight’s support for President Donald Trump, erupted.

The argument allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation. Witnesses purportedly attempted to stop the attack and threw things at Toney.

Toney is accused of stabbing Knight to death with a construction trowel. Toney reportedly jumped into a truck and drove away while calling the witnesses “terrorists.”

Knight succumbed to his injuries at the crime scene on Jan. 20, 2020.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office noted that Toney was apprehended in Brevard County on the same day in the truck and charged with murder.

Williams Knight Sr. — the victim's father — told WKMG-TV in 2020, "The gentleman, Mason, he was a friend of the family for years."

The father said his son had recently been promoted to a construction site foreman before his death, and he hired Mason. The deeply distraught mother said she warned her son not to hire his childhood friend because he had been acting strangely.

Julia Knight — the victim's mother — said of a possible motive for her son's death, "I don't know. I can't explain what happened to my son. I don't understand. I never thought Mason would do this to my son."

Julie Knight added, "But it wasn't about politics, I can tell you right now."

"There was something wrong with Mason," she said.

A review hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11.

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Clinton judge rules US military can't say no to HIV-compromised enlistees



A Clinton-appointed federal judge has ruled that the U.S. military cannot bar HIV-positive individuals from enlisting if they've temporarily rendered their viral loads undetectable through the use of costly antiretroviral drugs, which usually require daily use.

Judge Leonie Brikema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia previously handled two consequential cases in which she ruled against certain military service restrictions on HIV-compromised individuals — persons who if left unmedicated could possibly succumb to opportunistic infections and/or infect their comrades.

Citing her own opinions in those cases, Brikema asserted in her Aug. 20 ruling that the Pentagon's "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," continued Brikema.

'HIV is an infectious, incurable, bloodborne disease with several possible ways in which the disease could be transmitted to other service members.'

The lawsuit that precipitated Brikema's ruling was brought on behalf of three HIV-positive individuals and a leftist advocacy group.

The first, Isaiah Wilkins, is an HIV-positive 24-year-old homosexual who receives HIV-related health care from the VA Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He has to take pills to suppress his viral load. Wilkins seeks to enlist in the Army.

According to a 2023 Congressional Research report, the Pentagon's Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division estimated that between January 2017 and June 2022, 1,581 service members were newly diagnosed with HIV.

The second plaintiff is Carol Coe, a 33-year-old transvestite living in Washington, D.C. He contracted HIV while serving in the military, then left the military in 2013 to get a sex change. Coe attempted to re-enlist in 2022 but was unsuccessful on account of his infectious disorder.

The third plaintiff is Natalie Noe, an Australian now living as a permanent resident in California. She was similarly told that her HIV positivity was a negative where recruiters were concerned. To manage her HIV, Noe takes pills daily and is injected with an antiretroviral therapeutic every three to six months.

The trio were joined in their action by Minority Veterans of America — a leftist advocacy group committed to "social and structural change" that has worked to guarantee access to "abortion and contraception, and gender confirmation surgery through VA for veterans."

'We are pleased the court has eliminated the last discriminatory policy that barred people living with HIV from seeking enlistment or appointment to the military.'

The suit was filed against the Department of Defense in November 2022.

According to the original complaint, medical advances in HIV treatments "should have led to an overhaul of military policies related to people living with HIV. Instead, the Department of Defense and the Army — and all military departments — have maintained the bar to enlistment and appointment of people living with HIV."

The suit claimed that policies barring HIV-positive prospects from enlisting violated the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Court documents indicate that the Pentagon argued that:

the military's HIV policies are rationally related to promoting the health and readiness of the armed forces. For example, defendants continue to argue that asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads may not take their daily medications properly, which would result in their viral loads rising; that HIV is an infectious, incurable, bloodborne disease with several possible ways in which the disease could be transmitted to other service members, such as through battlefield blood spatter or transfusions; and that HIV is associated with various comorbidities and side effects that could harm a service member's health.

The Pentagon further suggested that:

  • the science is clear about the meaningful risk of infection that comes with blood-to-blood transmission "even for individuals with an undetectable viral load";
  • restrictions on HIV-positive enlistees is "rationally related to the goal of ensuring that safe blood supplies are available for use in combat medical care";
  • "'deployment may make it more likely that' HIV-positive individuals 'could experience viral rebound' due to the 'increase[d] ... risk that [they] will not maintain strict adherence to their' HIV medications";
  • "recruiting HIV-compromised individuals would impose disproportionately higher financial costs on the military compared to individuals without HIV," given antiretroviral therapy costs between $1,800 and $4,500 monthly; and that
  • it is rational to preclude incurable disease-compromised persons from joining to "ensur[e] a healthy military."

Brikema, evidently unpersuaded by these arguments, has enjoined the Pentagon from barring HIV-compromised individuals with undetectable viral loads from joining the military.

"We are pleased the court has eliminated the last discriminatory policy that barred people living with HIV from seeking enlistment or appointment to the military," stated Gregory Nevons, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, an outfit that helped file the case. "Americans living with HIV no longer face categorical barriers to service careers — discharge, bans on commissioning, bans on deployment and finally bans on enlisting."

"This is a victory not only for me but for other people living with HIV who want to serve," said plaintiff Isaiah Wilkins.

The Military Times indicated that the Pentagon declined to comment on the ruling.

While HIV-compromised candidates have been given the green light to enlist, the Pentagon still has prohibitions on the recruitment or retention of persons with certain maladies, such as Crohn's disease, kidney abnormalities, asthma, anemia, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, various sleep disorders, and excessive sweating.

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