The majority of people living with HIV take less than four days off work a year but still find it hard to get protection, research has shown.
The study by medical financial advisers Unusual Risks showed that 89 per cent of HIV positive people took less than a week in sick leave a year.
Meanwhile, 74 per cent said they had taken less than the national average of four days.
Chris Morgan, lead financial adviser of Devon-based Unusual Risks, said: “The intention of this survey is to bring attention to the positive effects that HIV medications have had on the work and long-term sickness records of HIV positive people in the UK.
“Since the new life insurance products were launched, HIV positive people have been able to protect their mortgages, families, children, partners and businesses.
“It is now time to consider if other financial products such as income protection and critical illness cover could be offered to people living with HIV.
“We would like to encourage the UK insurance industry to enter into a dialogue over these issues with appropriate stakeholders from within the HIV community.”
Right to reply
A spokesman for the ABI said: “We have had constructive conversations with Unusual Risk in the past and no doubt there will be opportunities for us to discuss these issues further.
“The latest research will be of interest to insurers, but it is down to individual firms to reach their own decisions about what products to offer.”
