Life insurance disclosure difficulties highlighted
Healthy HIV-negative gay men should not be treated as high-risk applicants when it comes to life insurance, it has been claimed.
Documenting the case of a gay man in Australia who claimed he had been discriminated against on the basis of "an imputed future disability", the Sydney Star Observer pointed out that some insurers require applicants to disclose details of their sexual activities.
In this instance the "imputed future disability" referred to the risk that the man might become HIV-positive, leading the insurance company in question to refuse him income protection insurance, even with a HIV exclusion clause.
"Some major insurers are requiring applicants to disclose whether they have engaged in anal sexual intercourse on the assumption that, if they have, they will have exposed themselves to a higher risk of contracting HIV/Aids," stated the newspaper.
In the UK, guidance from the Association of British Insurers ended this practice two years ago, also addressing the misconception that taking an HIV test would have a detrimental impact on insurance applications.
Before 2005, many gay men applying for life insurance expressed fears that they were being treated unfairly after being asked about their sexuality on application forms.
The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions
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