title: Travelling with HIV: a cross sectional analysis of Danish HIV-infected patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to describe travel patterns, extent of professional pre-travel advice and health problems encountered during travel among HIV-infected individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a six-month period a questionnaire was handed out to 2821 adult HIV-infected individuals attending any of the eight Danish medical HIV care centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 763 individuals responded. During the previous two years 49% had travelled outside Europe; 18% had travelled less and 30% were more cautious when choosing travel destination than before the HIV diagnosis. Pre-travel advice was sought by only 38%, and travel insurance was taken out by 86%. However, 29%/74% did not inform the advisor/the insurance company about their HIV status. Nearly all patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were adherent, but 58% worried about carrying HIV-medicine and 19% tried to hide it. Only 19% experienced health problems during travel, 6% sought medical assistance and 0.5% was hospitalized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Danish HIV-infected patients travel frequently outside Denmark. Health and adherence to HAART were not major problems during travel. The main problems were failure to seek pre-travel advice, lack of disclosure of HIV status when seeking pre-travel advice or getting a travel insurance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulla S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jensen-Fangel
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: Gitte
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nicolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lohse
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: Court
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors.forename: Gitte
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kronborg
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Obel
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark. Electronic address: carslars@rm.dk.
authors.forename: Carsten S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057236:Travel Medicine; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Disclosure; HIV; Pre-travel advice; Travel; Travel insurance