Do people living with HIV travel safely? Assessment of travel patterns and advice‐seeking behaviour in a cohort of people living with HIV in Belgium

Abstract

Objectives Pre‐travel counselling has demonstrated its efficacy in decreasing travel‐related health complications. The current profile of people living with HIV (PLWH) in Europe [increasing age, visiting friends and relatives (VFR)] makes pre‐travel counselling crucial. We aimed to survey the self‐reported travel patterns and advice‐seeking behaviour among PLWH followed up at the HIV Reference Centre (HRC) of Saint‐Pierre Hospital, Brussels. Methods A survey was conducted in all PLWH presenting at the HRC from February to June 2021. The survey covered demographic elements, travel and pre‐travel consultation habits over the last 10 years, or since the diagnosis of HIV if it was made less than 10 years earlier. Results The survey was completed by 1024 PLWH (35% women, median age 49 years, the majority being virologically controlled). A substantial number of PLWH were involved in VFR travel in low‐resource countries and 65% sought pre‐travel advice before travelling: if not, it was because they did not know it was necessary (91%). Conclusion Travel is common among PLWH. Raising awareness of the importance of pre‐travel counselling should be a routine part of every healthcare encounter and especially during regular contact with HIV physicians.