April 22, 2008

Report Says U.K. Insurance Companies Discriminate Against Gay Men

Mixed messaging and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS are leading some U.K. insurance companies to discriminate against gay men, the U.K. newspaper The Independent reports (independent.co.uk, 4/19).

In the past, companies offering life insurance or critical-illness-protection policies often asked gay men about the number of sex partners they’d had and whether or not they have safe sex, the article reports. However, in 2005, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) produced guidelines on what questions could be asked to assess applicants’ health statuses. The ABI ruled that companies could not ask applicants about their sexuality or sexual behavior, but said companies could ask if an applicant had ever tested positive for HIV, or if he was awaiting the results of a test.

A recent report by Compass, an independent financial advisor for the gay community, claimed that customer-service staff at major insurance companies often ask questions or provide incorrect information that cause many gay men to feel discriminated against when they apply for insurance.

“This shouldn’t happen,” says Jonathan French of the ABI. “There may be isolated occasions when employees get it wrong, but HIV [status has] nothing to do with being gay or straight.”

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