Whether you’re travelling with HIV meds, PrEP, hormones or other medications, the last thing you need is attitude from airport security—or forgetting to bring something you need.
HIV medications, in particular, are tricky to travel with because, though there are fewer laws than there used to be, some countries still restrict the entrance or stay of people living with HIV, and the meds may be taken as evidence of being positive. We like to keep your trips as chill as possible, so we asked a couple of experts for tips on travelling with meds.
Do advance research on the country you’re visiting
Border policies change and adapt, so it’s important to find out the current state of affairs, says Avi Cheema, an immigration lawyer with HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO). Websites like HIV Travel, UNAIDS and NAM aidsmap have good information. If in doubt, you can contact your country’s embassy in the country you’re planning on visiting. Broadly speaking, Western and Central Europe are not usually a problem when it comes to allowing entry to HIV-positive people, says Cheema, though “Russia is largely not a place that you would want to travel with HIV medication or PrEP or just being someone who is queer or trans.”
North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia (except Brunei), East Asia (except China) and Oceania are usually not a problem for entry and short-term stays, according to aidsmap. North Africa and the Middle East tend to be more restrictive; at press time, an HIV-positive status may deny someone entry to Iraq, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Different rules apply for long-term stays, as Cheema talks about below.
Aside from HIV status, different medications may be regulated differently in different countries; something that’s common in your home country might be illegal in another. If you have doubts about what you’re taking, it might be worth checking with your embassy. Even in countries that permit cannabis for medical or recreational uses, taking it across an international border without a permit is usually illegal.
Get vaccines and tests before you go
In this pandemic/post-pandemic era, COVID-19 vaccine requirements are already top-of-mind. The website Sherpa has easy-to-navigate and up-to-date information about what each country requires. But remember that your destination country might require other vaccinations, too. Depending on your country of origin, yellow fever vaccine, for example, may be required by some African countries. If you have a reason for being exempt from certain vaccinations, bring a note from your doctor explaining why.
A sexual-health screening before you go can also reduce stress. It may be more difficult and expensive to seek treatment in another country for something that could be easily dealt with at home before you leave, says Dane Griffiths, director of the Toronto-based Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance.
Make sure you have all you need
It’s usually acceptable to travel with a 30-day supply of medication, which you may need to arrange ahead of time with your doctor and pharmacist. Canada, for example, sets a limit on a 90-day supply. If you discover your meds are not permitted in your destination, you should talk to your doctor about an alternative. “Take enough for your entire time away and then we’d suggest taking a few days extra to account for any delays returning to your home country,” says Griffiths. “We just saw last winter folks stuck in places for very long periods of time and you don’t want to interrupt your HIV treatment, for example, or any regimen that you’re taking.”
Keep medication in original packaging and bring your prescriptions
You don’t want to do anything to trigger questions from immigration officials, says Griffiths, or have to explain what would be there on a label. So don’t put your pills in fancy dispensers or the like. It should be clear at a glance what they are and that they’ve been prescribed. “You want to reduce the scrutiny,” he says. Liquid medications are exempt from rules about bringing liquids aboard airplanes—present them to security officials outside your carry-on bag. And of course, while in transit, keep medications with you that you need to take during your journey.
In most countries, unused syringes are allowed in your carry-on baggage when accompanied by injectable medication, but you need to declare them when going through security and you are more likely to be asked for a letter from your doctor.
Take note of time differences and other factors that could change how a medication affects you
Some medications need to be taken at specific intervals. So if you’re in a different time zone, set a reminder to take your 8pm pill at whatever the equivalent local time is. If it’s a long-term stay, and it’s easier to take something at one time of day rather than another, your doctor might suggest gradually changing the time of day when you take your medication. Altitude and climate might also change how your medication affects you.
Don’t disclose what you don’t have to, but don’t lie either
Even if you’re travelling with HIV medication, or medication that raises questions about your gender or orientation, don’t feel you have to automatically disclose your status or identity. If asked directly about HIV status, Cheema advises that travellers should be honest. Entry restrictions for entry and short-term stays are sometimes not enforced; your trip might be over before HIV-testing requirements kick in. Things get more complicated for long-term stays where countries like Jordan or Saudi Arabia require an HIV test for those working and living there. If you lied upon entry but are later found by a test to be positive, the consequences might be more severe. That’s true of even more relaxed countries like Canada. “If you’re not forthcoming to the border agent, let’s say you come as a tourist and you don’t disclose your status on an application or something, then later on you decide that you want to stay for a longer period of time or apply for permanent residence. You will have to do an immigration medical exam at that point and, in Canada, we have this concept in immigration law of misrepresentation, which could harm your application,” says Cheema.
Be careful getting refills abroad
Don’t assume you’ll be able to get your meds while in another country. But in some cases, your prescription might be cheaper and easier in another country—medical tourism is a thing. Beware of counterfeit medications and advice from doctors and pharmacists that contradicts the advice of your regular healthcare provider. If you’re uncertain about who to trust, stick to mainstream providers like chain pharmacies. And check your travel insurance to see what’s covered.
