Overseas Travel (with breast prosthesis, travel insurance)

Hi @Tasia a bit late to the party here but I have travelled overseas recently and it wasn't a great experience at airport security but it wasn't terrible. If you have to go through the full body scanner, it does pick up the prosthesis, it shows the area as all red. They then ask you what it is and I basically said if they wanted to pat me down I wanted to be taken to a private area. They then told me that they have to wave the metal detection wand over and if it picks anything up they would only rub the middle of the bra basically down with the back of their hand and would I be ok with it. I said yes and it was fine. After that they said if there is the old walk through machine at any airports apparently you can ask just to go through that one instead. I found they were a bit nicer once I said the c word ;)
I shopped around for ages for travel insurance and we ended up going with 1Cover who seemed to be one of the only ones that didn't charge a huge extra fee for having bc. 

If I was feeling particularly mischievous, I might forgo the request for a private screening before joining the queue and then wait for the expected "Oh ohhh...there's something 'abnormal' showing on your chest". Then I'd gleefully whip out both silicone boobs...slap them on the counter/bench and the say, "I also have a prosthetic vagina...would you like me to remove it so you can look at it too? It's quite realistic...it even has hair"....  But on a more serious note, I mentioned my situation and presented a letter from my doctor and was screened very discretely, given a wink from the female officer and sent on my way at Sydney and Perth on my return, in 2017.

In the most recent case, publicised on the ABC, the search was done in private - it was the talking about, loudly in public, that caused a large degree of upset. Making a request rather than being stopped at the scanner seems a better way all round. Unless you really feel quite prepared to do it publicly and make everyone on staff feel uncomfortable! I’d be a bit tempted, I confess! 

@Afraser and @arpie - thank you. Will check Covermore

Yep that is what I recall reading - the screening was in public. Iʻd be mortified if I had to remove my prosthesis (which Iʻm yet to develop a bond with) in public. 

Or pending my mood (reaction), I could use some creativity and mortify them - my payback to their insensitivity and disrespect for my privacy and dignity. 

There is a serious lack of education amongst our fellow humans and industries. 

Hi @Tasia

There were a few comments about bad experiences at airports herre:
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/25099/airport-x-ray-machines-and-a-prosthesis/p1

It appears that you need to advise them you want a private screening before you join the queue to go thru the scanner ... they are always supposed to know that this is available to those with prothesis .... but don't always offer it when a breast prothesis is discovered.

Both my husband and I had cancer & Covermore was terrific when we travelled overseas.  After completing active treatment, it should be fine to sign up as you are basically NED (no evidence of disease.)  If still going thru chemo or other ongoing treatment, it could be trickier. 

take care & all the best

I haven’t travelled recently but I’ve travelled extensively with a prosthesis and never had a problem. To be prepared, a doctor’s letter and being quite clear that you should be in a private room (it’s policy for most airlines) for any inspection may help.

I have used Covermore for travel insurance - no problem with cancer as a previous condition as long as a minimum time had lapsed since any hospitalisation. There are others that have been recommended too. There is a seperate thread on the network on travel insurance fhat may be helpful.

Happy travelling!