Ten tips for traveling if you live with HIV
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has given some regions a break, many people are returning to travel more calmly. Whether for vacation or for work reasons, international travel is registering more movement.
If you, as a person living with HIV, are going to do such activity, remember that conditions in another nation may be very different from where you are from. It is recommended that you take into account certain important factors, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of the United States.
1) Before travelling, talk to your medical staff about that plan 4 to 6 weeks in advance.
2) Ask your doctor if you can take medications to combat, for example, stomach problems due to the change in diet.
3) Find out if you need any vaccinations to travel to your destination. Discuss this with your doctor to find out if it is safe for you.
4) Locate an HIV treatment center at your destination, in case you need it.
5) Find out what requirements are requested in your place of destination for people with HIV who enter the country.
6) During your trip, be careful with what you eat: try to eat only well-cooked food and bottled drinks, to avoid the risk of stomach infections.
7) Take your medications at the indicated time. If the schedule is different from your place of origin, set alarms on your cell phone.
8) If your doctor has prescribed a special diet for you, don’t break it.
9) If you are going to have sex, use a condom, so you avoid contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
10) When you return from your trip, ask your medical team if you need to be tested for any disease (depending on the place you traveled to).
With these tips your trip will be much more relaxed and comfortable, and you will be taking care of your health from possible risks that you would not run in your own country.
And remember that if you live with HIV and have not started your treatment or want to resume it, at AHF Latin America and the Caribbean we can help you. Identify our nearest office in your country or write to us by Whatsapp.