A survey has discovered that 41% of gay men do not know that they are HIV positive. The investigation, which was carried out in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton and Edinburgh, found that of the 3500 men who took part, nearly one in ten tested positive. More worrying is the large number who are oblivious to HIV. Equally as concerning is the large number of HIV positive men who have previously had tests and still thought they were free from the disease. Out of 92 percent who had been tested, the figure who thought they were HIV negative was nearly two thirds of that, at 62.3 percent.

Experts are concerned that despite being aware of their condition, HIV positive men are still having unsafe sex. Will Nutland, Terrence Higgins Trust's Strategic Lead in Health Promotion told PinkNews, “All of the data shows that at the point of HIV diagnosis it is men who practice unsafe sex who are more likely to be found to be HIV positive, but I don't believe it is the case that men start to practice unsafe sex after they find out their status. What is most concerning about these results is the large amount of gay man who are unaware of their HIV status.” HIV is the sexually transmitted virus which leads to AIDS. The disease leads to many health conditions through a weakened immune system, including rare forms of cancer, loss of vision and some mental health problems. It is advisable for everyone to have a regular general health check-up which involves tests for HIV as well as other health conditions like diabetes and blood pressure. Freedom Healthnet offers fairness in all their policies and offers private medical insurance for homosexuals with equal benefits and conditions.

A new top of the range private health centre is due to open at the beginning of 2009 at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in China. The facility will offer many services to those wishing to take advantage of their private medical insurance policy, including surgical procedures like cardiology, dermatology and cosmetic treatments. With access to brand new, state of the art equipment such as MRI scanners, and ophthalmologic laser and digital mammography technology, it is no wonder that patients and its 50 strong medical staff will be travelling from all over the world to use the clinic.

The centre is based in the city of Macau, which already attracts many tourists to its fine array of hotels, restaurants and casinos. The opening of the new Malo clinic will undoubtedly bring medical tourists to the area as well. Medical tourism has become a booming industry in the past few years, with private health insurance customers flocking all over the globe to hotspots like Thailand, Malaysia, India and Hong King. Cash plan medical insurance policies, like those offered by Freedom Healthnet give customers the choice as to where they receive their treatment, be it in a private hospital here in the UK or abroad, or even in an NHS centre if they wish. This type of private health cover gives policy holders a lump sum to put towards the cost of treatment, rather than paying for it directly. Freedom Healthnet customers could be the first in the queue at the new Malo Centre to receive their medical care in luxury when it opens next year.

Gay and unmarried couples are getting unfair treatment when it comes to employee health insurance benefits. That’s according to a survey carried out in America in 2006 which found that married couples are much more likely to be given a private health insurance policy through their workplace than those who are simply cohabiting. The research found that one in five in same sex relationships did not have employee private health cover, compared to only ten per cent of married couples.

Employee health insurance has been proved to be very beneficial for both the worker, with a better general health and access to good quality and efficient treatment, and for the employer, with fewer days lost to sickness each year. Homosexuals will be put at a big disadvantage if they are denied access to private healthcare, meaning they are more likely to become ill and lack medical treatment when they need it. Brad Sears, executive director of the Williams Institute Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy who carried out the research, told PinkNews, "When employers do not provide equal coverage for the important long-term, committed relationships of unmarried employees, those employees' families are vulnerable to receiving poor or no health care.”

Freedom Healthnet has provided health insurance policies with equal coverage for both homosexual individuals and couples, since the company was set up four years ago. Many gay people have felt discriminated against in the past and have been put off getting a quote for private medical insurance because of this, but such discrimination should no longer be the norm. Homosexual employees can also be covered at no extra cost in Freedom’s corporate health insurance policies meaning that there is no reason for them to be put at a disadvantage any longer.

Boots, Virgin and Sainsbury’s are just a few of the private companies that have already been awarded contracts within the National Health Service for their involvement with large independent treatment centres. The latest company to join them is USA based UnitedHealth who will now become the main advisor to the NHS on primary care trust spending, after they agreed a deal with NHS bosses this week. Many people have expressed concerns over the increasing amount of privatisation in the health service, but with claims that the NHS is reaching retiring age as it turns 60 this month, it may be inevitable that privatised health care is the way forward in the 21^st century. Seven million people already have a private health insurance policy in the UK and it seems that this number will continue to increase.

The deal with UnitedHealth is the second of its kind to be agreed by the Department of Health just this year, after BUPA’s contract in Hillingdon earlier in 2008. UnitedHealth already run doctors services in both Derbyshire and Camden and are looking to expand further across the UK to allow more patients to benefit from a private style of health care. John Parkes, chief executive of Northamptonshire Teaching PCT told GP website, ‘Pulse’, that the knowledge of a private company will benefit their services. ‘FESC (Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners) is about bringing in the expertise of a leading global organisation to improve our capacity and capability and we’re delighted to have chosen UnitedHealth UK to work in partnership with us.’