Published 8 July 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a593
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a593

Letters

Body piercing in England

Double standards in obtaining consent for piercings

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Piercing is a surgical procedure with substantial complication rates: a third get complications, a fifth require professional help, and 1% even require admission to hospital.1 The risk of death is not negligible as piercing can transmit bloodborne viruses or result in life threatening sepsis.

Any doctor performing a procedure such as this would ask for explicit (usually written) consent with discussion of the risks being documented. Why is there no such requirement for tattooing and piercing, both of which may have long term or serious complications? Many young people under the age of 16 undergo such procedures, without parental consent being formally obtained, and are at risk.

The public seems happy to accept lower standards of information and consent from less qualified people than it expects from healthcare professionals. The consequences of tattooing and piercing can be irreversible; the standards of skill, sterilisation, and consent applied should be the same . . . [Full text of this article]

Avril F Danczak, general practitioner

1 Alexandra Practice, Manchester M16 8NG

avril@doctors.org.uk


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Body piercing in England: a survey of piercing at sites other than earlobe
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