PLWHA Travel guide

Following the success of its first release two years ago, the second edition of an information brochure for HIV-positive travellers has been published.

An initiative of People Living With HIV/AIDS NSW (PLWHA NSW), and funded primarily by the Commonwealth Dep-artment of Health and Ageing, HIV And International Travel provides advice for people living with HIV who are planning an overseas trip.

With information on 44 countries, the pamphlet en-ables HIV-positive tourists to make an informed choice about potential destinations.

They can use [the pamphlet] to get an indication of whether there are any restrictions or special conditions in relation to HIV, PLWHA NSW’s Susan Hawkeswood told the Star.

And if people are planning a holiday and they’re quite open about their destination, they can use the brochure to look at where the easiest holidays are going to be.

As well as listing entry requirements for a variety of countries, the brochure includes contacts for travellers requiring more specific information.

This includes advice on customs protocol for HIV medication as well as details of countries with which Australia has reciprocal health arrangements.

Recent changes in this information in different parts of the world go some of the way to explaining the decision to update the brochure.

One of the biggest changes is the changes that have happened as a result of the European Union, Hawkes-wood said.

The countries that now form the EU used to have different entry requirements, and part of the EU membership is that EU countries standardise their entry requirements.

The popularity of the first edition also encouraged PLWHA NSW to update the publication.

The brochure, to be distributed nationally through the various AIDS Councils, should remain current for the next two years, said Hawkeswood.