Is body art a health hazard?

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002

Muscle growth is one way a teenager can express himself, but is tattooing and body piercing taking things a little too far?

A growing trend among adolescents, particularly in the US, piercing and tattooing are increasingly viewed as harmless by parents.

A recent survey of 454 undergraduate students at Pace University, New York, found that 51 percent were pierced and 23 percent tattooed. Male athletes were significantly more likely to be tattooed than male non-athletes, supporting the notion that body image, physical performance and self-expression go hand in hand.

But pierced and tattooed adolescents do not all share the healthy lifestyle of an athlete.

A startling study at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York, based on 4500 people aged 12 to 21, suggests that teens who pierced their bodies also smoked and used drugs to a greater degree than those who did not pierce.

"It may be that body piercing is a way for teens to identify with their peer group, and that peer group tends to be higher in risk taking," study author Dr Timothy Roberts told Reuters Health.

An Australian study at the Institute of Canberra, released last year, found that tattooing and body piercing were considerably higher among injecting drug users.

"Although the rates of transmission of blood-borne disease due to body decoration are believed to be low, the strong association with youth and with injecting drug use suggests considerable potential for transmission," the authors of the study concluded.

"Body image plays an important part in self expression, but practices such as piercing and tattooing come with health implications we are only just beginning to learn more about," Aussie Bodies food scientist Eric McEntyre said.

"From a health point of view, body piercing would need to be done in a sanitary environment to prevent infection. Check to see if the facility has an autoclave for sterilising equipment and if the operator is wearing a fresh pair of gloves after each client or after handling equipment and working with a client.

"If you or your friend or relative plans to go through with a piercing, take care to avoid the home or amateur piercing job. Naturally, parents or guardians should fully discuss the decision with the child, addressing why they want a piercing and highlighting the health risks."