To think our mortgage advisor was insensitive

[confettispaghetti]

Me and my DP are first time buyers who recently had a meeting with our mortgage advisors, as part of our meeting we discussed life insurance. The mortgage advisor went through a questionnaire on health and family history etc for a quote for life insurance and one question which came up was about your parents having any related illnesses etc. Obviously I had to answer truthfully - my DM has Huntington's disease (HD) which was one of the answers. At the end of the questionnaire I was rejected to be covered for life insurance because my DM has HD. As it is hereditary there was a possibility that I also had HD (I do not - my DM had me tested before giving birth) but our mortgage advisor was certain there was a possibility that I could still get HD later in life!! It's a 50/50 chance that you have the faulty gene which I do not!!! It really upset me - AIBU to think this was insensitive?

Yes I'm 24, born in 1994

Now I'm worried! How do you go about getting re-tested for these sorts of things?

jmg.bmj.com/content/38/5/333

it looks as though there was some testing in 1994.

Your GP can refer you.
www.hda.org.uk/getting-help/if-youre-at-risk/genetic-testing

Hiya OP. Big hugs to your mum and you. I know how horrible Huntingdons is as my dad had Huntingdons (sadlt he passed from it 8 years ago) and I had a blood test to check I didn't have it in 1994 - when he got diagnosed. I am not sure that you could check this on your unborn child as they would need to have drawn blood (3 vials worth in mine and my sisters case) in order to test it and I can't see how that wouldn't have risked the pregnancy - I am sorry but I think you should ask a doctor or someone from the HDA (Huntingdons Disease Association) if it is possible your mum could have had you tested, and if she couldn't I would suggest that you get tested. As an adult you need to get therapy for a few months prior to testing but your doctor etc can tell you all about that. Much love x

@Badgersmummy25 thank you. Sorry to hear about your dad, I lost my nan to Huntington's too so know how awful it is. My mum had a CVS when she was pregnant (not sure how many weeks pregnant she was) and it was negative but I don't have any proof. I've been reading on the HDA website which is really useful. I'm going to give the doctors a call tomorrow to try and sort this just for my own peace of mind. X

Ps if your mum has it there is a 50/50 chance you will, but if you don't have it then your child can not get it (it can't skip a generation) unless your partner has it - then of course your child would then have a 50/50 chance again. Just to say my dad ha dit but neither my sister nor I inherited the gene. So please don't get too scared x

I imagine that testing for HD would only be available through Clinical Genetics services. They have specialists in genetic disorders and talk families through testing and diagnosis of genetic diseases. If you do think you may want to be retested for HD, see your GP and ask for a referral to clinical genetics.

Given the potenital consequences of diagnosis of HD, which I'm sure you're aware of if your DM is affected by it, a meeting with a genetic counsellor can talk you through the testing, make sure you are aware of what the results can mean and then discuss the findings of the test.

For some people, they may decide that genetic testing is not right for them but that's a decision that only you can make.

If your DM had a prenatal test which was negative, then I'm sure a test now will also be negative but if you want to know for sure, an appointment with the experts will hopefully get you that result. And some evidence for the life insurance comapnies.

Sending you hugs Confetti, and sorry to hear about your Nan, the disease is really an evil one for sure xx The HDA were amazing and were really useful in finding out more about the disease x

@Badgersmummy25 thank you for the reassurance x

Thank you @AlexaC that's really useful info. I'm definitely going to see my GP

OP prenatal CVS genetic testing for HD started in 1994 so possible you were one of the first! Definitely worth following up with GP if the hospital can't find your results.

Just wanted to wish you luck, I can understand this would be distressing

I was rejected for life insurance back in 2004, on the basis that I have polycystic ovaries 🙄
Insurance companies really are shit scared of having to pay out so will not take on people that they deem ‘risky’. Or, if they do take them on then it’s at a ridiculous premium.

An in utero test to exclude Huntington’s is available, no idea if it was in 1994. But I guess without the paperwork to show the mortgage advisor it’s meaningless as far as mortgage application goes. He only said there’s a possibility you could get it later on and without a test certificate saying otherwise from a risk point of view he’s right.

I applied to remortgage last week and was asked all these questions and when asked if I’m currently having treatment had to say I’ve been getting treated for the last few years for a chronic uti and am on high dose abx. The mortgage broker warned me that some mortgage companies probably won’t give me a mortgage due to this. Which seems bonkers for a urine infection when I haven’t had a day off sick in ten years and only have 15k left to pay in my mortgage! But it’s not his decision.

And this was for a mortgage not even life insurance!

There are loads of insurance companies that offer life and critical illness insurance, and they all have different criteria for what circumstances they will and won’t cover. Get your medical proof, and go to a specialist broker who will know the best companies to apply to that will suit your circumstances. Don’t take one mortgage advisors word for it. Good luck