Travelling with HIV treatments

Being HIV positive can influence our decisions about travel in a number of ways. Many positive guys are cautious about travelling to places where they have reason to be concerned about their health, or where there is only limited access to quality medical services especially with experience in HIV medicine.

Before you go

Some countries also have restrictions on travel for people with HIV, even for tourists for example the United States. Carrying treatments can therefore be a disclosure of being HIV positive and may result in you being denied entry. Some people choose to minimise this risk by posting their treatments ahead — either to friends or to a PLWHA organisation that will hold the treatments for a short time.

Remember that this does not always work packages go missing or get held up. If you are posting ahead, do it in plenty of time and check that your treatments have arrived safely.

Entry and visa requirements for individual countries can be found on the PLWHA (NSW) website.

It restricts how long I can go overseas now. I can take a maximum of three months worth with me. If I wanted to stay longer I would have to either come back or get someone to mail them for me. -TAN

It is a lot easier to conceal a handful of tablets than boxes and boxes of them. I posted all my medication to the first city I was visiting and then was able to take it right across America with me without any problems. -KEITH

Being on holidays means a big change to daily routines. Disruption or change to daily routines is one of the most common reasons for missing doses of HIV treatments. Time zone changes and variations to normal daily routines are reasons for missing doses. If you have chosen a particular drug combination because it suits your lifestyle (around your eating, sleeping, and working patterns), travelling can upset this balance.

It’s only two hours time zone difference but I just wasn’t hungry at dinner, then I was hungry later. So I was taking some of my drugs before eating and then I was missing out the drugs I needed with food.  - BEN

If I don’t remember, it’s because I consciously say I’m not taking it. Although when I came back last time I missed three doses, because of jet lag and sleeping. I slept through the night and didn’t take my night pills.  -MARCO

If you plan to stay in a new time zone for a week or more, you should consider changing your dose routine until it is in sync’ with the local time. This can be done by changing the dosing time gradually (by moving the dose slightly each time) until they fall at more convenient times. This is particularly important for drugs that need to be taken at regular intervals. Work out a schedule with your doctor.

I have a little pill case that’s really flat and I can put it in my pocket. If I know I’m going to be out then I always make sure I take it with me.  -JASON

If you are travelling with treatments, carry your prescriptions and a doctor’s letter with you. The letter does not need to reveal that you are HIV positive, but it should include the words: “These medications have been prescribed for a medical condition,” and a list of all the medications you are on. Keep the letter and prescriptions separate from your medications, so that if you lose one, you do not lose the other.

You do not need to declare your medications when you go through customs, but if a customs official checks your luggage and finds your medications, you may be asked to produce a doctor’s letter and the prescriptions. Keep the medication in the original bottles with your name on them. Some countries have strict laws on drug labelling.

Ask your doctor or the Travellers’ Medical and Vaccination Centre for a detailed guide on avoiding food-borne diseases when you are away.