RISK OF TATTOOING

Risk of Contracting Hepatitis B and C during Tattoos and Body Piercing

Risk of Contracting Hepatitis B and C during Tattoos and Body Piercing

Introduction

A tattoo is a permanent mark made on your top layer skin using ink and specialized needles. Getting a tattoo can last up to a few hours and may cause bleeding, as well as significant pain. A body piercing is a puncture made on a body part by a needle. A piece of jewelry is then inserted through the hole. The most common body parts to pierce are the ears, nostrils and belly button (Huxley and Grogan, 2005).

Several risks are associated with tattoos and piercings. It is imperative to understand these possible complications and take steps to prevent infection or disease. The majority of the health risks associated with tattooing and body piercing are related to infectious complications and localized skin reactions. There is also the potential for blood-borne (for example, HBV and HCV) diseases.

Hepatitis C virus is one the most common chronic viral infections in the United States population, affecting approximately 4.1 million Americans.9 It is of utmost necessity to understand various risk factors for these infections so that preventive interventions can be developed. HCV leads to chronic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over a period of 20-40 years (Huxley and Grogan, 2005). This paper aims to discuss the risk of contracting hepatitis B and C during tattoos and body piercing.

Discussion

The practice of tattooing and piercing, once not very common in developed countries, has now expanded into western society. In fact, in the last twenty years, young people have shown great enthusiasm for the practice (Stieger et al, 2010). Unfortunately, with this higher demand, the number of unprofessional tattooists and piercers has increased creating more complications due to frequent procedures carried out without any knowledge of health and hygiene rules. The scientific literature shows a wide range of health consequences both infectious (e.g. HIV, HBV and HCV, mycobacterial infections, septicemia, abscess, endocarditis, tetanus) and non-infectious diseases (e.g. dermatitis, hemorrhage, allergies, damage to the oral cavity). There have been some cases with a fatal outcome (Sean et al, 2002).

Hepatitis B and C are contagious and spread when the blood or other body fluids of a person with the virus are absorbed into an individual's blood stream, either through broken skin or a mucous membrane. The hepatitis B virus can live in all body fluids of an infected person, including blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal fluids. It can enter the body through cuts, tears, or abrasions in the skin and through mucous membranes of the mouth, vagina, anus, and eyes (Deschesnes, Demers and Fines, 2006).

Getting a permanent tattoo involves piercing the skin with a needle and injecting coloured ink in different designs. If the needle or the surroundings is infected, then the chance of transmission of the hepatitis virus goes up manifold. Tattoos are a potential cause for spreading hepatitis B and C virus, even ...