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June 23, 2000
MEDICAL GUIDELINES APPLY WHEN
GETTING A TATTOO OR BODY PIERCING
While body piercing and tattoos date back thousands of years, Hackensack University Medical Center and the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System warn that the process of performing body ornamentation carries the risk, however small, of contracting a bloodborne disease such as hepatitis or HIV.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention maintain that "there is a risk of HIV or hepatitis transmission if instruments contaminated with blood are either not sterilized or disinfected or are used inappropriately between clients."
George Nikias, M.D. of Ridgewood, medical director of the medical center's Hepatitis Treatment Center, advises that anyone who plans to have a body piercing or tattoo seek out a reliable establishment. "Don't be afraid to ask if the instruments are sterilized or disinfected," he said. "If you don't get a response you can depend on, look for someone else who can perform the service professionally."
To decrease the risk of infection, the following are guidelines the public should be aware of when getting or giving tattoos or body piercing: Needles or other instruments that penetrate the skin should be in sterile packages and opened only prior to use, then used once, and discarded in a biohazard container.
- All instruments must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.
- A fresh pair of gloves are used for each customer.
- Service workers should also be educated about the transmission of
bloodborne pathogens, and should use precautions to prevent transmission.For further information, please contact your local health department. For more information on AIDS or sexually transmitted diseases, please call the AIDS/STD HOTLINE 24 hours a day at 1-800-624-2377.
Hackensack University Medical Center
30 Prospect Avenue · Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601 · (201) 996-2000