We've just stumbled across this article, which discusses a recent publication in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (which is the real deal, published by Oxford Univ. Press for the Infectious Disease Society of America). The study looked at a number of studies of tattooing and Hepatitis C, and concluded that there was "no definitive evidence for an increased risk of HCV infection when tattoos and piercings were received in professional parlors." They also found, sadly, a significant risk for Hep C infection among (a) high-risk groups (the needle-using among us), or (b) when applied "in prison settings or by friends."
So what? Well, aside from confirming what anyone with the sense God gave to goats would suspect--namely, that having your tattoo done by a professional, in a clean, professional setting is far safer than one done by your friend's cousin in his living room using spit, bong water and cat feces for ink. Well, no duh!
Still, having this article being published is important, if for no other reason than it provides a strong, data-driven affirmation for the importance of having your tattoo or piercing done in a clean, sanitary facility, by competent professionals. Not to knock your friend's cousin's methods...or his 'secret special ink recipe'...but we here at the House of Libido prefer our ink and metal laid down by clean instruments in the hands of a skilled artist. 'Nuff said!
Gratuitous nasty liver picture, showing the cirrhosis that Hep C (and other forms of Hepatitis) can cause; image courtesy of MedicineNet.com.
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