Travel for Pleasure
Travel for Pleasure campaign provides a collection of important information that is good to keep in mind when taking care of your sexual health while travelling. The information is related to subjects such as PrEP and PEP medication, condoms and lubricants, chemsex and clubbing culture. You can learn more about these subjects on our campaign pages.
Travelling makes up a significant portion of leisure time for people in rich Western countries. Tourism is also a significant area of business in the destination countries. Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men also travel a lot: they have their own favourite destinations, events, services and areas of interest.
Why Travel for Pleasure campaign?
The prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is higher in many travel destination countries than in Finland. However, sex at mass tourism destinations is usually between travellers. And if the people having sex have a higher than average number of sexual partners, the statistical likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted disease also becomes higher. Various bacteria and viruses that cause sexually transmitted diseases can also spread quickly through unprotected sex at travel destinations where people come from many parts of the world. It has been shown that the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases has significantly increased in Finland and the rest of the world. Therefore, it is a worthwhile subject for a campaign focused on travel.
Now is the time to let you think about ways to take care of your sexual health that suit you. Safe travels!
Travel for Pleasure Quiz
Reasons for travel: getting away from the daily life and routines, enjoying good food and services, relaxing, resting, seeing new places and experiencing new things.
This quiz will get you in the holiday spirit. Perhaps you dream of galleries in Paris, a beach holiday in Playa del Inglés or hot sex between men in Barcelona?
Vaccines and medication
It is a good idea to look up information about your travel destination well in advance. You should reserve sufficient time for getting any necessary vaccines and other preventive measures such as PrEP medication.
Clubs, sex parties and seeking partners
If you wish to seek out sexual partners when travelling, it is best to look up information about the travel destination’s dating and hookup culture before the trip. What methods for seeking out sexual partners are available in the country?
STIs and hygiene
If you’ve had sex when travelling where a condom was not used or it got broken, it’s a good idea to get tested for STIs after the trip.
Familiarize yourself with condoms and lubricants in advance and take them with you for safe travels!
Chemsex
When travelling, people usually prepare for various risks such as heat and traffic jams. It is best to also prepare for the local drug culture in the same way. Chemsex can be safer in many ways if you look up information about the culture around it at your travel destination.
Encountering sexual violence while travelling
If you experience sexual violence during your trip, go to a safe place and ask for help. It is important for you to get crisis support as soon as possible after the event. You do not need to cope by yourself.
