World
map
of
travel
&
residence
restrictions
against
people
with
HIV
on
www.plwha.org
HIV
and
International
Travel
There
are
some
simple
steps
all
HIV-positive
tourists
can
take
regardless
of
their
destinations
to
minimize
chances
of
undue
customs
delays
or
outright
deportation:
*
Look
healthy.
Travelers
who
appear
to
be
ill
are
likely
to
be
targeted
for
indepth
questioning
or
inspections.
*
Be
discreet
and
polite.Don't
draw
any
undue
attention
to
yourself
that
could
cause
customs
officials
to
pull
you
aside.
*
Don't
advertise
the
fact
that
you're
HIV-positive.
It
pains
me
to
have
to
give
that
kind
of
advice,
but
you
might
not
want
to
wear
a
PLWHA
t-shirt.
*
Keep
your
anti-HIV
medications
in
their
original
bottles,
and
do
not
attempt
to
hide
the
containers.
If
you're
hiding
them
customs
officials
may
think
they
contain
contraband
and
may
hold
you
to
verify
that
they
are
permitted
into
the
country.Opening
packages
or
taking
pills
out
of
their
prescription
bottles
will
delay
your
time
in
security.
*Pack
extra
medicine
and
supplies
when
traveling
in
case
you
are
away
from
home
longer
than
you
expect
or
there
are
travel
delays.
*If
you
are
taking
injectable
medications
(e.g.,
Fuzeon,
insulin,
testosterone)
you
must
have
the
medication
along
with
you
in
order
to
carry
empty
syringes.
*Depending
on
the
circumstances
it
may
be
worthwhile
taking
along
a
doctor's
certificate
(in
English)
which
shows
that
the
holder
is
reliant
on
the
medication
and
that
it
has
been
prescribed
by
the
doctor.Carry
a
copy
of
your
prescriptions
in
your
carry-on,
purse,
or
wallet
when
you
travel.
*You
can
ask
and
are
entitled
to
a
private
screening
to
maintain
your
confidentiality.
Show
copies
of
your
prescriptions
and/or
your
medication
bottles
and
if
you
have
any
problems
ask
to
see
a
supervisor.
In
general,
the
above
points
apply
to
entering
countries
with
ambiguous
or
restrictive
regulations:
as
long
as
HIV
positive
status
does
not
become
known,
there
will
be
no
serious
problems
for
a
tourist.
However,
if
someone
is
suspected
of
being
HIV
positive,
or
if
the
authorities
have
concrete
reasons
to
believe
they
are,
entry
may
be
refused.
Since
october
2008
non-immigrant
US
visas
are
granted
to
HIV-positive
people
who
meet
certain
requirements,
instead
of
waiting
for
a
special
waiver
from
DHS.
My
philosophy
on
the
whole
issue
is
that
it's
not
an
issue,
so
I
don't
present
it
as
one.And
I've
never
had
any
problems
over
the
years
of
extensive
travel(more
info
on
www.plwha.org).
HIV
Retreats:
A
Chance
for
People
With
HIV
to
Kick
Back,
Find
Peace,
Get
Educated
and
Connect
LIST
OF
INTERNATIONAL
RETREATS
for
people
with
HIV
on
www.plwha.org
Let's
face
it,
HIV
is
still
a
very
stigmatized
disease.
But
there
are
some
amazing
retreats
you
can
go
to
with
other
positive
people.
Some
of
the
options
are
free,
some
expensive.
Some
are
carefree
holidays.
Others
are
more
educational.
You
can
find
retreats
for
people
with
HIV
beachside,
in
the
mountains
and
in
the
middle
of
the
biggest
U.S.
cities.
What
all
HIV
retreats
offer
is
an
opportunity
to
connect.
These
retreats
are
geared
for
the
newly
positive
as
well
as
people
who
have
long
ago
processed
their
diagnosis
and
are
just
looking
for
a
chance
to
unwind.
"People
living
with
HIV
and
AIDS
sometimes
feel
very
isolated
and
alone.
At
a
retreat,
all
of
a
sudden
you're
in
a
room
with
100
people
living
with
HIV,"
says
Al
McKittrick,
an
organizer
of
the
AIDS,
Medicine
&
Miracles
Retreat.
"It's
rather
life
changing."
Nena
Bridge,
an
organizer
of
WORLD's
all-women
beachside
retreats,
echoes
McKittrick's
sentiment.
"A
lot
of
women
think
it's
just
them
by
themselves,"
she
says.
The
attendees
at
WORLD's
retreats
are
women
of
all
ages.
They
tell
her
they
leave
behind
stress
and
bring
back
knowledge,
strength
and
confidence.
Along
with
offering
a
fun
time
and
a
chance
to
meet
others
with
HIV,
retreats
offer
tools
for
coping
with
HIV
once
you're
back
home.
The
balance
between
entertainment
and
education
varies.
The
"Do
Not
Fear
to
Hope"
retreat
is
on
the
more
intense
end
of
the
spectrum.
The
topic
of
its
most
recent
non-denominational
religious
retreat
was,
"Where
is
God
in
all
my
suffering?"
On
the
other
hand,
the
Hetero
Poz
Cruise
Retreat
and
the
Gay
Men's
Pos
Cruise
are
mostly
about
leisure
--
you
are
on
board
a
posh
cruise
ship,
after
all.
Still,
there
are
opportunities
to
learn.
Many
attendees
come
from
rural
areas
where
where
HIV
services
and
support
are
scarce,
so
top-notch
HIV
specialists
are
there
to
provide
talks
and
dispense
advice.
But
many
attendees
travel
to
retreats
to
meet
people.
McKittrick
met
his
current
partner
at
a
retreat,
and,
in
fact,
it's
not
rare
for
romance
to
bloom
when
HIVers
get
together.
Both
the
Hetero
Poz
Cruise
Retreat
and
the
Gay
Men's
Pos
Cruise
have
seen
many
couplings.
This
year,
there
was
one
straight
marriage
and
two
gay
commitment
ceremonies
aboard
ship.
Another
advantage
of
HIV
retreats
is
that
many
are
wallet
friendly.
In
fact,
they
are
often
free
or
dirt
cheap.
For
first-time
attendees,
the
weekend
WORLD
retreat's
cost,
including
lodging
and
meals,
is
just
$40.
And
even
expensive
retreats
are
sometimes
accessible
to
people
with
limited
incomes.
For
example,
the
Hetero
Poz
and
Gay
Men's
cruises
are
pricey,
but
scholarships
are
available
for
HIVers
on
disability.
Today,
HIV
retreats
are
a
microcosm
of
the
epidemic.
Twenty
years
ago,
the
people
coming
to
AIDS,
Medicine
and
Miracles
were
mostly
white
gay
men.
"These
days
it's
a
very
different
audience,"
McKittrick
says.
The
crowd
is
made
up
of
more
women
and
African
Americans,
and
the
music
has
changed
to
suit
the
crowd.
Hip
hop
and
rap
has
replaced
the
dance
music
they
used
to
spin.
In
the
end,
it
doesn't
matter
whether
you
prefer
house
music
or
rap,
because
there
are
retreats
to
suit
every
taste.
Take
a
look
at
our
list
of
HIV
retreats
to
find
one
that
will
get
you
moving.
If
you
know
of
any
retreats
we
missed
on
www.plwha.org
,
please
let
us
know!
LIST
OF
INTERNATIONAL
RETREATS
for
people
with
HIV
on
www.plwha.org
