Warnings over body piercing boom

June 13, 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7451580.stm

Thursday, 12 June 2008 00:02 UK

Belly button piercings are common among young women

Problems over botched body piercings could be a " substantial burden " on the NHS

in the near future, a study says.

The British Medical Journal study found one in 10 people - and nearly half of

all younger women - have a body piercing other than on the earlobe.

Just over a quarter of people reported complications, including swelling,

infection and bleeding.

Many avoid specialist clinics, and face greater risks piercing themselves, or

trusting friends or relatives.

Non-specialist piercings could also mean hepatitis infection, experts said.

There is a message here for the health service, that body piercing is really

very common

Dr Angie Bone

Health Protection Agency

Despite the increasing popularity of body piercing in recent years, these are

the first firm figures showing the extent of the boom.

The joint study between the Health Protection Agency and the London School of

Hygiene and Tropical Medicine asked a sample of more than 10,000 people aged 16

and over in England whether they had been pierced somewhere other than the ear

lobe, and suffered any complications as a result.

They found approximately 10% had some sort of body piercing, with women and

younger people most likely to have one.

Half of those who had experienced complications said the problems were bad

enough to seek further help, and a small number required hospitalisation.

Four out of five piercings were carried out at specialist shops, which are

licensed and inspected by the local authority, and complications were less

likely among piercings carried out.

A small number of those surveyed, however, admitted that they had carried out

piercings of the tongue, lips and genitals without official expert help - 9% of

tongue piercings were carried out this way.

10 months to heal

Dr Angie Bone, one of the research authors, said she had been surprised by the

finding that 46% of 16-to-24-year-old girls had a body piercing, and said that

if this generation, and following generations, continued this way, it might be a

problem for the NHS.

She said: " There is a message here for the health service that body piercing is

really very common and, if it remains fashionable, in the near future one in two

women will have a body piercing and there will be more complications. "

Dr Bone said many people were unaware of the potentially serious nature of a

piercing and stressed the importance of using a specialist clinic.

" I was surprised to find, for example, that a navel piercing can take up to 10

months to heal. "

Another potential risk from piercings, especially those carried out abroad or

away from regulated clinics, comes from blood-borne viruses.

A spokesman for the British Liver Trust, which offers advice on avoiding

hepatitis infection, said: " It is important to remember the long-term problems

that can occur, particularly if you get a piercing from a non-specialist.

" You put yourself at a high risk of contracting hepatitis B or C, both of which

are serious, life-threatening conditions which can be fatal.

" You may not know you have contracted the virus until later on in life when the

damage has already begun. "

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June 13, 2008