Health and Safety Tips
- Safety and Security before Departure
- Document Safety while Abroad
- Safety Precautions
- Dating and Sex
- Citizens Emergency Center
- Worldwide Health Information
Students traveling abroad under NCA&T programs are covered by HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance. To locate an English speaking physician overseas please visit their website at hthstudents.com
Please feel free to call the Office of International Programs at (336) 334-7104 if you have any questions or concerns regarding this information.
Safety and Security before Departure
Between now and your departure, it is your responsibility to stay informed about developments in the country/countries in which you will spend time (including any countries you'll visit that are not part of your study abroad program's itinerary). You can do so by checking the U.S. State Department's Web page: http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html. There you will find: Consular Information Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings. The following are brief descriptions of these types of information:
Consular
Information Sheets are issued as a matter of course, and are available
for every country of the world. They include such information
as location of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the subject country,
unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances,
unusual currency and entry regulations, crime
and security information, and drug penalties.
Public
Announcements are issued as required, and are a means to disseminate
information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term
and/or transnational conditions positing significant risks to the security
of American travelers.
Travel
Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on
all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country.
For a more detailed descriptions of the above information, please refer to the State Department Web page. Periodically checking this Web page is a good idea and especially important if your program and/or travel takes you to regions of the world where unstable conditions exist or are likely to develop.
Document Safety while Abroad
Do not take any credit cards, keys, or other items not needed abroad.
Make
(2) photocopied sets of your valuable documents and maintain "emergency
files" containing:
Airline
ticket(s)
Passport
Ttravelers
checks
Driver's
license
Blood
type and Rh factor
Eyeglass
prescription
Name
of doctor and dentist
Supplemental
insurance policies
and the credit cards you take abroad.
Leave
one "emergency file" set at home and keep another
with you in a separate place from the originals.
Leave
a copy of your itinerary and contact information with family/friends
at home and OIP.
NEVER
pack your passport or any other important documents in
your checked-in luggage or your carry-on luggage.
Passports
including visa page, credit cards, and money should be
worn in a pouch or a money belt as close to your body
as possible.
Be
aware that certain reading material or literature may
offend officials of some countries.
Safety Precautions
While you are abroad, you are expected to exercise the same safety precautions you would at home. Use common sense, avoid confrontations, familiarize yourself with the area and PLEASE do not place yourself in any unnecessarily dangerous situations.
The following are some tips to help keep you safe while abroad:
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMUNICATION
Be aware that you are responsible for your own decisions and actions.
Understand and comply with all terms and conditions of your program
If you have been a victim of a crime, report this immediately to your
leader or International Programs Office.
Do not be free with information about yourself or other students, including
your travel itinerary or class schedule.
Develop a plan for regular communication so that in times of heightened
political tensions or local incidents, you will be able
to communicate with your family directly about your safety and well-being.
WHEN GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE
Try to blend in. Traveling as an identifiable U.S. American group of
students may attract attention and lead to problems.
Avoid arriving late at night to unfamiliar places and take a reliable
guidebook that lists resources and hotels/hostels.
Try to stay on well-lit, heavily traveled streets.
Avoid walking too close to streets or buildings.
Walk against the flow of traffic so oncoming vehicles can be observed.
It is preferable to travel with another person. It is not advisable to
sleep on a train if you are traveling alone.
Remember that hitchhiking is as dangerous abroad as it is in the United
States. Hitchhiking is not advisable.
Travel light!
If you have an agreement with your leader or resident director about
leaving the site and/or staying with others, be sure
to give him or her your and itinerary and contact information.
YOUR SURROUNDINGS
Remain alert within your environment - be aware of what is normal about
your surroundings so that the unusual is easily detected.
Obey host country laws and observe local customs.
In large cities and other popular tourist areas, try to avoid places
frequented by U.S. Americans.
Whenever possible, speak in the local language!
Avoid deserted areas and exercise caution in crowds.
Avoid impairing your judgment due to excessive consumption of alcohol.
Keep up with local news, and in the event of disturbances or protests,
do NOT get involved.
Report suspicious events of any kind to your leader or the International
Programs Office immediately.
Learn the location of and register at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Behave in a manner that is respectful of others, and encourage others
to behave in a similar manner.
Learn the procedures for obtaining emergency health and law enforcement
services in the host country.
Be aware of local situations that may present health or safety risks
when making daily decisions and promptly express any concerns to the
program staff or other appropriate individuals.
PERSONAL BELONGINGS
Avoid using U.S. American logos on your belongings, especially athletic
wear.
Keep all valuables on your person, preferably stowed away in a money
belt or pouch that hangs around your neck and/or under clothing,
and NEVER leave valuables unattended.
Do not wear or carry expensive items, including expensive luggage.
Do not agree to watch the belongings of a stranger.
Do not borrow suitcases, and ensure that nothing is inserted into yours.
Remove your luggage tags after arrival.
If possible, always lock your handbags/baggage. If the item has a shoulder
strap, Wear the strap across your body.
Do not put valuables in the exterior pockets of backpacks or in bags
that are open at the top.
Be aware of pickpockets, as they tend to prey on people who look lost
or unfamiliar in their surroundings.
Dating and Sex "A DIFFERENT CULTURE EQUALS DIFFERENT NORMS"
Women and men should both be aware that the ways people interact vary widely by region and country, and issues around dating and sexuality can be particularly difficult in a cross-cultural setting.
Eye contact, dress, and body language can all send different messages by region and culture. Observing interpersonal interactions within a culture can help you to choose the way you communicate verbally and non-verbally with others in that country.
Some people consider traveling an aphrodisiac. Meeting new, exciting, and different people may stimulate action that you would not have taken under similar circumstances in the United States. Don't be foolish in assuming that you are invulnerable because you are a visitor in the country and no one is judging your behavior. Ask yourself why you are choosing to be sexually active and be aware of and set your boundaries and partner expectations.
BE RESPONSIBLE AND BE PREPARED
If you choose to be sexually active, use safe sex and protect yourself and your partner against unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and misunderstandings about the meaning of the relationship. Take a supply of condoms with you since conditions of availability and purchase may be limited, and conditions of manufacture and storage may be questionable.
Be responsible if using alcohol or prescription drugs because they can affect your behavior. Don't leave the country with anything you didn't bring: this means a pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or AIDS.
SPECIAL NOTE TO WOMEN
In some instances, women may have a hard time adjusting to attitudes they encounter abroad, both in public and private interactions with foreigners. Some men openly demonstrate their appraisal of women in ways that many women find offensive. It is not uncommon to be verbally and loudly approved of, and, in general, to be actively noticed simply for being a woman—particularly an American woman. Sometimes the attention can be flattering. Soon, it may become very annoying and potentially even angering.
You will have to learn the unwritten rules about what you should and should not do. You may wish to meet with other participants early in your stay abroad to discuss what does and doesn't work for dealing with unwanted attention.
U.S. American women are seen as liberated in many ways, and sometimes the cultural misunderstanding perceived in that image leads to difficult or unpleasant experiences.
Needless to say, all of this may make male-female friendships more difficult to develop. Be careful about the implicit messages you are communicating— messages you may not intend in your own cultural context. Above all, try to maintain the perspective that these challenging and sometimes difficult experiences are part of the growth of cultural understanding which is, all things considered, one of the important reasons you are studying abroad.
TIPS FOR AVOIDING UNWANTED ATTENTION
Female travelers are more likely to encounter harassment such as unwanted sexual gestures, physical contact, or statements that are offensive. Uncomfortable situations such as these may be avoided by taking the following precautions:
Dress conservatively; while short skirts and tank tops may be comfortable,
they may encourage unwanted attention.
Avoid walking alone at night or in questionable neighborhoods.
Do not agree to meet a person whom you do not know in a non-public place.
Be
aware that some men from other cultures tend to mistake
the friendliness of U.S. American women for romantic
interest.
If, after acknowledging cultural differences, you still feel uncomfortable with what you interpret as sexual harassment, you should talk with your leader, resident director, or other on-site personnel. This conversation may provide you with some coping skills and a possible action plan to avoid future encounters. It may also help you gain a different perspective by understanding the local customs and attitudes.
Citizens Emergency Center
You should register with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate as soon as you arrive on-site. This will be helpful to you and your family if there is a need to locate you or family members in the event of an emergency.
The Citizens Emergency Center of the Bureau of Consular Affairs provides emergency services pertaining to the protection of U.S. Americans arrested or detained abroad, the search for U.S. citizens abroad, and the transmission of emergency messages to those citizens or their next of kin in the United States.
Assistance at the Citizens Emergency Center is available:
Monday through Friday: 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at (202) 647-5226.
A duty officer from the U.S. State Department Operations Center is available
for emergencies at the following times and phone numbers:
5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at (202) 647-5226 and 10:00 p.m. to 8:15 a.m.
during the week and at all times during weekends and holidays at (202)
647-1512.
Further information regarding the emergency services to U.S. citizens
abroad and related U.S. State Department services can be obtained on
the following Web sites:
http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html http://travel.state.gov/acs.html#emr.
You should check these sites regularly until your departure to ensure
you are familiar with events on-site and any concerns of which you should
be aware.
Worldwide Health Conditions and Information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Call 404-332-4559
or 404-332-4565 to obtain a faxed information sheet for ordering documents, then call
again to have the necessary information faxed back. CDC's International
Travellers' Hotline is 404-693-2572. Its website is http://www.cdc.gov.
The State Department's Overseas Citizens' Emergency Center: Call
202-746-5225 for information on medical, financial, or legal problems while abroad.
The
State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs maintains a website
that provides easy access to a wealth of information on travelers' health
and safety: http://www.travel.state.gov, including links to the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention.
The International Association for Medical Assistance for Travelers offers
information on English-Speaking doctors abroad and other helpful items.
Call 716-754-4883.
International SOS Assistance, a Philadelphia-based emergency worldwide
medical and travel assistance service, provides insurance for travelers
to cover emergency medical needs and other services, including 24-hour
miltilingual assistance in centers around the world. 800-767-1403 or
215-244-1500, http://www.intsos.com.
Medex International, based in suburban Baltimore, for services similar
to those of International SOS. 800-537-2029, http://www. medex-assist.com/education.htm
For guidelines on Road Travel:
Association for Safe International Road
Travel
NC A&T State University Office of International Programs would like to thank The University at Buffalo Office of Study Abroad Programs and Michigan State University International Studies for their permission to use this information.