Body Art (Piercing and Tattooing) has Consequences Worth Discussing At Home

I have been watching the NBA Championships and have noted the great shots, offensive and defensive moves, and the occasional technical fouls called on players and coaches. I have also noted the incredible number of tattoos and pierced body parts on the players. There is more ink on these guys than one might see following a fight between an octopus and Edward Scissorhands. There is more metal attached to the ears and navels of the players than on any 1970 Cadillac on the road. Body art has been around for generations, but by the look of the NBA playoffs, we must be running a trade deficit for ink and metal.

Recent studies have reported that 10% of adolescents and 25-50% of high school and college age students have some type of body art (body piercing or tattooing). So it is quite likely that many families have been faced with over dinner comments by these young people such as: "Hi mom, how was your day?" "Mine was fine, son. How was yours?" "Er, Ah, Uh, well, I got a tattoo of the confederate flag on my back today; want to see it?" Or the second year co-ed returning home says as clearly as she can, "I got a ringh in my tongueehe and onah in my nahvea." To assist in clarification, she simultaneously sticks out her tongue and lifts her shirt up just above the waist.

Most parents and body art devotees are not living in the Stone Age and are aware that such activity is common and now part of the expressive landscape of our society. Some parents may express no concern whatsoever and may even muster the self-control to ask such general interest questions like, "Was the work done at a road-side stand in Mexico or in the "Body Art" wing of Mayo Clinic?" Others may freak-out and offer, "My God, you will get AIDS or Hepatitis before you get into med school!” Finally, some parents may be simply speechless and blame themselves. (The silent "Where did I go wrong?" always comes up in these situations.)

It may be helpful to all to know some of the social and medical facts that have come to light regarding this phenomenon of body art. First of all body art is incredibly common. In a recent survey at a Northeastern university with a diverse student body, the prevalence of body piercing was a whopping 51% (excluding earlobe piercing in females) and tattooing was present in 23% of the students. In another study of military recruits, 36% entered the armed forces with tattoos. To put these numbers in a social perspective, body art is as common as being over-weight. While tattoos were equally common among co-eds and frat boys, females were more likely to have piercing art. One-third had additional ear piercings, 32% had navels pierced; 16% had pierced tongues, 6% had nipples pierced (ouch!). Eyebrow, lip, and cheek piercing were reported by less than 2% of students. In the survey, 18% of pierce art artillery had been removed. One half of the students who had donned pierced tongues had their lingual luggage removed at the time of the survey. Only 4% of tattoos had been removed. Medical complications reported by pierced college students were impressive. In contrast none of the tattooed students reported or recognized complications. (As this was a student-report survey, no blood work was available to study things such as hepatitis or HIV.) The over-all incidence of complications related to piercing reported by the subjects was 17%. Navel, nose, and nipple piercings were particularly associated with bleeding or infections. Tongue piercing was associated with a 10% incidence of oral or dental injury.

In medical circles these numbers are astronomical. Consider for instance, that the risk of injury from a colonoscopy is one per thousand or less. Any prescription drug with a 10% side effect rate would be pulled from the market by the FDA quicker than you can say, "class action lawsuit." Regarding the risks of blood-borne infections such as hepatitis and HIV, the risk is probably 1-2% if body art is done following current recommendations for professional artists, i.e. sterile technique, disposable needles, skin disinfection, clean latex gloves, and proper hand washing. However, if the proportion of college age students engaging in body art activity is 25-50%, the burden on the medical care system and the heartache in American households is likely to be heavy. I would suggest that the talk at the dinner table move from the current status of the NBA playoffs and to the real risks associated with the current wave of body art. If your daughter has a pierced tongue, you may not understand a word she says, but perhaps she will understand your informed input. She can have it removed. As for the tattoos, the risks appear to be very low when proper technique is used. Be thankful the flag is on his back or his arm and not on his nose. It is rather difficult to pass a medical school interview with the stars and bars waving with every sniff. Kids, what are we to do? >