Though many Massachusetts employers plan to cut off same-sex domestic partnership benefits once gay marriages begins in the state next month, Harvard has no plans to alter its coverage policy.

Health benefits for cohabiting same-sex couples, which have been available from the University for over 15 years, will remain an option for Harvard employees even after same-sex marriages begin on May 17.

With the possibility of a constitutional amendment limiting marriages to opposite-sex couples, the University is “trying hard not to make changes that would be disruptive,” said Merry Touborg, spokesperson for Harvard’s Office of Human Resources.

Currently, 106 of 17,000 Harvard employees receive domestic partnership benefits, Touborg said.

They were established “to recognize the existence of long-term partners and long-term relationships that would need long-term benefits,” said Touborg.

Touborg said the University will reexamine its benefits policy sometime within the next two years.

“We expect to review our policy and might change it in the future. It is something that may be changed when the decisions about gay marriage become clearer,” Touborg said.

At that point, same-sex couples may be required to marry in order for both partners to receive the medical and dental benefits.

“For the purposes of benefits eligibility, the University may require marriage of all couples as it does currently with opposite-sex couples,” according to Touborg, who read from a policy statement set to be released next week.

Thomas H. Parry ’74, president of the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus, wrote in an e-mail that he supported Harvard’s decision to maintain the domestic partnership benefits.

“Since same-sex marriage in Massachusetts is not yet a done deal, Harvard still needs to offer its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees domestic partnership benefits,” he wrote.

Harvard will change its coverage policy in only one immediate way—same-sex married couples will be eligible for the same benefits as opposite-sex married couples, Touborg said.

Currently, opposite-sex domestic partnerships—heterosexual cohabiting couples—are not eligible for benefits under the logic that marriage is a viable legal option for them.

For a Harvard employee to receive medical coverage for a same-sex domestic partner, the couple must first officially register the domestic partnership in a municipality that recognizes such relationships.

Cambridge, along with Boston and Brookline, offers registration services to any same-sex domestic couple, regardless of whether they reside in one of these municipalities.