Do travel clinic visitors read information on sexual risk abroad in travel health brochures?

Key informant perspectives on sexual health services for travelling young adults: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

International travel has become increasingly popular among young adults. Young adults often engage in casual sexual relationships abroad, exhibit sexual risk behaviours and may thus be at risk of contracting sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. Pre-travel interventions and consultations may mitigate this risk. At present, we know little about sexual health-related pre-travel interventions. The aim of this study was therefore to document key informants' experiences, perceptions and recommendations in the context of sexual health of young adult travellers.

METHODS

Key informants were professionals working in Ottawa, Canada travel clinics, travel organizations or sexual health clinics with a young adult clientele. This study used a qualitative approach and consisted of 13 in-person or Skype semi-structured interviews with key informants. Thematic content analysis was informed by a sexual health framework, with themes emerging both inductively and deductively.

RESULTS

Sexual health was not common in pre-travel interventions described by key informants. Risk-assessment, and practical or purpose-driven pre-travel interventions were identified, resulting in risk mitigation strategies tailored to the destination region and/or mission/culture of the travel organization. Dissemination (e.g. limited time, lack of training) and uptake (e.g. young adults' embarrassment, provider discomfort, financial constraints) barriers limited in-depth discussions of pre-travel interventions related to sexual health. Key informants acknowledged the importance of early sexual health education, and recommended ongoing, comprehensive sexual education for both youth and young adults.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that more time and resources should be allocated to the topic of sexual health during pre-travel interventions with young adults. Professionals who guide and prepare young adults for travel must develop concomitant skills in sexual health promotion. Early, comprehensive sexual education is recommended to improve overall sexual health in young adults and mitigate risk behaviours during travel.

Sex tourism, disease migration and COVID-19: lessons learnt and best practices moving forward

COVID-19 has closed borders and halted trade across industries, including sex tourism. With the waning of the pandemic, we anticipate a surge in risky sexual behaviour, reigniting international to domestic and community disease transmission and migration. This is a call to action to scale-up preparedness for the future diversification of contagious and infectious diseases.

Sexually transmitted infections and travel

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The present review considers recent evidence on travel-associated sexual intercourse and sexually transmitted infection (STI) risks and travel with regards to risk behavior and implications of travel on communities. It highlights the lack of research in this area and topics for consideration.

RECENT FINDINGS

A population-based study, and others, shows significant levels of sex abroad and risk behavior with inconsistent condom use despite increasing travel advice about risks. There is an increasing association of STIs in military personnel from local rather than deployment-associated sex contacts shown in United States and French studies, probably related to deployment of women. Innovative studies are showing the effect of female sex-tourism on the communities involved, and the sexual interaction and risk for tourism employees from tourists. New social networking apps require evaluation as to both their potential to increase and decrease risks. Travel sex continues to be a vector for the global spread of multidrug resistant gonorrhoeae.

SUMMARY

New research challenges previous perspectives with changes to risk behavior in the military, female sex tourism, the change in social networks and ongoing risk behavior research and evidence of increased cross-country partnerships. The lack of high-quality studies evaluating travel advice to reduce risk is a key area for future work.