Pediatricians Alter Guidance On Young Patients With Tattoos, Piercings
“Tattooing and piercing of various body parts no longer is a high-risk population phenomenon, as evidenced by growing numbers of adults and adolescents not considered at risk who have tattoos and multiple ear and body piercings,” says the new report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Los Angeles Times:
Pediatricians May View Tattoos, Piercings As Red Flags. They Should Discuss It Instead, Report Says
Tattoos or pierced body parts have long been considered a red flag for pediatricians who found them on their patients. Physicians who came across an inked symbol or a navel ring while examining an adolescent or young adult were taught to probe for other dangerous behaviors, including drug use, weapons carrying, risky sexual activity, and self-injury. In a flood of ink both literal and figurative, that medical advice has been washed away. (Healy, 9/18)