Gay Men Traveling with HIV Guidelines While Traveling Below are some guidelines and precautions for the positive traveler to make vacationing easily enjoyable, not life-threatening.

Here are a recommendations that HIVers should take into account while traveling. By Bob Adams for Out Traveler, July/August 2005.

Avoid The Raw
Though it might be tempting to sample a wide array of local specialities while traveling with HIV, they can expose significant health risks. Avoid fruit juices, raw vegetables, salads, and any raw or undercooked eggs, meat and seafood. Streetside vendors’ wares can be less than hygienic and should also be skipped by gay travelers with HIV. With local fruits, make sure that the outer skin is intact before you peel it yourself and eat it. The basic rule is “Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.”

Drink Carefully
Every traveler has heard the admonition “Don’t drink the water,” but HIV-positive gay travelers should take the warning especially seriously. Contaminated water can cause gay traveler’s diarrhea and even such life-threatening diseases as cryptosporidiosis, salmonella, cholera, and typhoid. Stick to bottled water and canned soft drinks, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages. Avoid ice, coffee, tea, and other hot drinks made from local tap water. Use bottled water to brush your teeth, as even tiny amounts of contaminated water can cause serious illnesses for the HIV-positive gay traveler.

When swimming with HIV, be sure to avoid swallowing any water. Wear shoes when walking on beaches or riverbanks, and lie on towels or blankets near the water to minimize exposure to contaminants.

Plan for Medication Backup
Losing your anti-HIV medications can be one of the most frightening experiences for an HIV-positive traveler. Plan a contingency plan while traveling overseas. But even express shipping to some remote locations can take from 24 to 48 hours – time enough for missed medication does to allow HIV to mutate defenses against the drugs once they’re started again. In many European countries, it’s possible to refill antiretroviral prescriptions for gay men traveling with HIV. But in developing countries or those where brand-name anti-HIV drugs are scarce, it may be impossible to get antiretroviral drugs locally. Contact the local US embassy or consulate for assistance if you are facing this problem.

Schedule Your Dosing
Changing time zones can cause major headaches in sticking to a complicated antiretroviral regimen. As a gay HIV-positive man, program an alarm watch, beeper, or pager to alert you to take your medications on schedule. Other options may be to simplify your drug regimen to once-daily dosing or even to take a short treatment break. Talk with your doctor about these and other possibilities so you can enjoy one of life’s healthiest pursuits the art of traveling with HIV.


Click here for gay men traveling with HIV tips before you depart for your vacation.

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