Before you decide to travel
Before you decide to travel
When you decide where to travel it is important to remember that most countries in the world can’t provide the same levels of treatment and care as a Scottish Haemophilia Centre.
Even if your bleeding disorder doesn’t usually affect your life it is important to consider what would happen if you had a bleed while you are away.
Think about what sort of holiday you want to take. If you want a very active holiday it might make sense to make sure you are based near a large Haemophilia Centre. If you are thinking about a cruise then bear in mind you might need to find out about the Haemophilia Services in every country that it stops in. It is also unlikely that the ship will wait if you are held up in a local hospital with a bleed.
The UK Government travel advice website provides lots of useful information about the county you are intending to visit including visa requirements. It is a good idea to check it before you book your trip. It’s also important to remember that you need to take the travel advice that would apply to anyone travelling abroad. NHS Scotland’s website, Fit for Travel, is a useful way of checking what you need to do.
For people who were infected with a blood borne virus during the contaminated blood disaster there can be additional considerations. According to the Terrance Higgins Trust there are still a few countries who ban people with HIV including Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) even as a tourist. Russia, Canada, Australia, Hungary and many Middle Eastern countries also have some restrictions.
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Source: Haemophilia Scotland / aidsmap