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Unsafe Travels: Understanding Tourism and STDs

Unsafe Travels: Understanding Tourism and STDs

Going on vacation allows for amazing opportunities to broaden our horizons and learn about the world. It also provides many chances to hook up.

Statistics vary widely, but they show that up to 50 percent of travelers report casual sex with a new partner during their journeys. After all, vacations foster spontaneity and can be quite romantic, but the last souvenir you would want to bring home is a sexually transmitted disease.

In a 2005 survey by Whittier and colleagues at a gay resort, men who have sex with men (MSM) were 11 times more likely to have unprotected sex with casual partners compared to when they are at home. A 2012 survey by Benotsch and colleagues also found that 17 percent of MSM had sex with a new partner while on vacation, of which 38 percent did not find out their new lover’s HIV status.

Essentially, we are great at finding new partners on vacation, but we aren’t the best at protecting ourselves and one another from sexually transmitted infections during our journeys.

Vacations are a fantastic time to meet new people and potentially find romance. However, it’s always essential to think about your health when you’re out and about in the world. After all, tourism plays an important role in the history of HIV. At the start of the epidemic, Haitians were considered one of the four high-risk groups — colloquially termed the “4 Hs” — that also included homosexuals, heroin/IV drug abusers, and hemophiliacs. Haitians turned out to be at risk due to the country’s sex tourism industry during the year surrounding the outbreak.

Thankfully, the ways to protect ourselves are the same as we’ve always heard.

Condoms can substantially reduce a traveler’s risk of infection when they are used consistently and properly, and studies have found that tourists are more likely to have protected sex if they simply remember to pack condoms. To my knowledge, condoms are probably the one thing that the TSA does not restrict in your luggage, so bring as many as you want!

Alcohol and drug use also increase one’s chance of having unprotected sex while on vacation. It’s unrealistic to recommend that everybody avoid illicit drugs and abstain from the obligatory margarita while on their trip. However, I must say as a healthcare professional that it’s important to know your limits and consider moderation. After all, what’s the point of going on vacation if you’re so blasted you can’t remember it?

In addition to condoms, PrEP can also play an important role in preventing HIV infection during your trip. When used appropriately, this therapy could reduce your risk of HIV transmission by over 90 percent. Consider talking to your physician well in advance of your departure to determine whether you need a PrEP prescription.

Lastly, the spur-of-the-moment and fleeting nature of a vacation can make it difficult to get to know a new and casual sex partner. That impulsivity is sort of its whole appeal.

However, the research above shows that many guys don’t exactly talk about the important stuff before going to the next step. Asking about one another’s HIV status may seem to take the “casual” out of a casual sexual encounter, but it certainly can help you make an educated decision regarding protection. And I’m quite confident that such a simple and easy question won’t really take the “lust” out of your wanderlust.

Vacations can be far and few between, so enjoying yourself should be one of your top priorities. However, your health shouldn’t necessarily take a break too. If you’re lucky, you may get the chance to meet someone for a fling or perhaps something more serious. With the thoughts and tips above, both of you can make memories together while preventing a different (and much less relaxing) kind of trip: to the doctor’s office.

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