And all that would be bad enough without the virus. Most people pack far too much to go on holiday,
but if HIV comes as part of your baggage, you can easily find you are
exceeding your personal stress allowance.
For a start, there are the jabs. What do you need, and will the vaccines
do you more harm than the nasties they are designed to prevent? (See Q&A,
page 44.) But it doesn't end there. What if you get sick while you are
away? And what if you get turned away at immigration? First, the risk
of getting sick. Well, you may decide you need insurance.
Should I worry about insurance?
Don't despair; there are a handful of companies that provide this for
HIV positive travellers at a reasonable cost. One of the best is Rothwell
& Towler. You can also try Carvosso & Co. Next month, we wil feature
what is available in detail. But for now, expect to be asked your CD4
count and viral load, and whether you have been in hospital recently.
Some readers have been offended by this, but the companies are only doing
their job. It is better to give all the information up-front, even if
they don't ask for it, than to discover that a company won't pay out because
your medical history falls through their small print. One particular catch
is that they
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sometimes won't cover you if you have ever had an Aids diagnosis, even if you are particularly well.
Shop around for the best policy for you: some are better than others if your
