Pentagon pauses HIV-positive recruit training

(CNN, KYMA) - Any new military recruits who are HIV-positive cannot begin their initial training, at least for now.

CNN has learned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the decision Friday. It comes after a federal appeals court ordered a pause in a lower court ruling that allowed HIV-positive applicants to serve their country.

A federal judge ruled in 2024 that the military could not turn away enlistees solely because they had HIV. A final decision from the appeals court is still pending.

The Defense Department is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks on whether to re-instate the long-standing ban to prevent

HIV-positive individuals from enrolling in the military.

A study published last year by the military health system found that between 1990 and 2024, more than 11,000 service members were diagnosed with HIV among active duty, National Guard, and reserve forces.

However, these individuals only tested positive after they joined the military.