Several Dutch insurers will start offering life insurance policies to certain people suffering from HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, the Dutch Association of Insurers said on Wednesday.

Life expectancy of people treated with a combination of drugs called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has increased in leaps and bounds, said the association, which has advised its members to start selling policies under conditions.

“This concerns part of those people with HIV, namely those who responded positively to medical treatment, had no further medical complications and have not used drugs intravenously,” the association said.

The number of people in this category is around 2,500, out of an estimated 20,000 people infected with HIV in the Netherlands, according to an association that monitors HIV.

For these people the risk to insurers is comparable to that associated with people suffering from diabetes or a heart condition, the Association of Insurers said.

“Considering the level of the risk, this means a shorter term of validity and probably a higher insurance premium,” it said.

Life insurance products for people with HIV are already on offer in Britain and in France, but the premiums are relatively expensive, the association said in a report on its Web site.

HIV sufferers in The Netherlands may want to seek life insurance, because they can run into problems when seeking a mortgage or in other instances if they are not covered.

In Britain there is only one insurer that offers life insurance with a maximum duration of 10 years for people with HIV, and premiums depend on the state of health, said the association whose members include Aegon and ABN AMRO.

Dutch insurers are free to determine their own acceptance terms, and six have already agreed to start offering policies.

HAART therapy helps suppress the virus and keep it from damaging the immune system. But resistance develops eventually in most patients, according to a British study released last week.