Background: Overseas travellers and men who have sex with men (MSM) are prioritised groups when it comes to HIV/STI prevention. Travelling increases sexually risky behaviour and sexual contacts abroad are common; among MSM, there is a high prevalence of HIV/STIs.

Objective: To investigate the experiences of and attitudes towards prevention efforts against HIV/STI before travelling abroad among MSM.

Methods: The study had a cross sectional design and is based on survey responses from 656 MSM, recruited through a Nordic website, who had travelled abroad during the preceding year of the survey. Analysis is primarily descriptive, but bivariate analyses were also performed, and statistically significant differences between groups were investigated using the chi-square test. The level of significance was p <. 05.

Results: Very few of the men felt that they encountered prevention efforts against HIV/STIs in Sweden (4.9%) and abroad (22.7%), and a majority (58.4%) felt that more should be offered, in particular to younger men. They felt that it was easy to find out information(79%), and most of them would use the Internet (87%). As to prevention efforts, a majority (68.3%) preferred free access to condoms and lubrications or written information/travel advice (59%).

Conclusion: Prevention efforts aimed at overseas travellers can involve links to information on the Internet about sexual health. The results suggest that it is primarily younger men who should be prioritised. It is important that the information is conveyed respectfully since this group may have the experience of feeling stigmatised or discriminated against.