piercing, tattoo and infection. do we live up to our knowledge? alfred halstensen professor,...

Piercing, tattoo and infection. Do we live up to our knowledge?

Alfred Halstensen

Professor, ConsultantHead,

Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen&

Haukeland University Hospital

Institutt for indremedisin

Campus Haukeland


Who is Alfred?

• An old man ?• ”conservativ”• Has seen a lot of people

– a lot of ill people– a lot of dead people

• Has a lot of education (9+3+6+6+4++ years)• Has a lot of experience• Focus on internal medicine & infectious diseases• Focus on science and education• Focus on people

• But which teenage will listen to this old man ???


Focus on people / teenagers

• Focus on people and health and quality of life• How to stimulate people to choose right ?• How to protect people from self destructive actions ?

• But will teenagers listen to wisdom ?• Do teenagers listen to an old man ?• Do teenagers listen to health care workers ?


Who has impact on you ?• Media – TV, magazines, internett, advertizers• Commercial industry• Friends - - -• Role models• School• .• .• .• .• Health care – but people do not like to hear about illness ....• .• .


Self destructive / risky activities ....

• Smoking tobacco• Trafic accidents• Alcohol• Drugs• Unhealty food (sugar, ...)• Sexually transmitted diseases (HIV, herpes, clamydia,

gonorrhea, hepatitis, ++)• Piercing and tatoo• .• .• .


Smoking tobacco

About 25% of all deaths in Europe is linked

to smoking tobacco

Specially:• Cancer• Heart and vascular diseases• Lung diseases

• In addition .....


”Piercing” and tattoo

• Penetrate the skin and moucus membrane• ”Piercing”• Tattoo• Needles• Knifes• Accidents


Culture and rituals

Institutt for indremedisinInstitutt for indremedisin


Why?

Institutt for indremedisinInstitutt for indremedisin

Why?


Is piercing and tattoo a problem?


What is the problem?


Piercing and tattoo – what is the problem?

+ Culture

Rituals

Estetic

Identity

Nice to look on?

Self-confidence?

Protest?

- Allergy

Infections

Ugly?

I regret …….. ”I love Monica”


Piercing and tattoo – what is the problem?

Is piercing and tattoo self destructive activities ?

Is benefits greater than losses?

Is this commercial business?

Who are the consumers?


Piercing and tattoo and infections

• Infections with common skin bacteria– Stafylococci – most common– Streptococci – most dangerous

• Hepatitis C (2-3000 each year in Norway)• Hepatitis B• HIV

Institutt for indremedisinInstitutt for indremedisinInstitutt for indremedisin


Piercing and tattoo and infections

• Very strong hygienic rules and claims in Norway and Europe• Local and not dangerous bacterial infections is common during the

following 1-4 weeks• Stafylococci most common• Proper hygiene + antibiotic ointment/creme • Rare use of antibiotic tablets

• Transfer of hepatitis C probably still occur in Norway

• Outside Europe increased risk for transfer of HIV and hepatitis

• Do you want to have tattoo in Haiiti?


Girl, 18 years old about her piercing

• High school• High sosioeconomical family• Dreames of piercing since 10 years of age• 11 years old: Piercing of her ears• 18 years old: piercing of her tongue• No protest• No pressure from friends• No infections• Do not regret ………… yet


Girl, 18 years old about her piercing

• High school• Middel sosioeconomic family• ”Kult”• Tough• Looks good!!!• Pressure from friends• Pressure from TV, magazines and internett


10 Norwegian teenagers about piercing and tattoo in school. Benefits and risks?

Nothing!!


Is body decorated pupils different from others

Ålesund: 6., 8. og 10. class. 1 237 pupils

Body decorated teenagers compared to nondecorated:-activity id -quality of relations: id-quantity of relations: more

-identifying with valus of the school: less -support from and communications with parents: less-body decoration strongly linked to risk behaviour

Meland et al; 2004 http://www.tidsskriftet.no/index.php?seks_id=1039975


Ålesund – conclusions and advices

Accept teenagers need for identityNotice that risk behaviour may give identity

Improve selvmanagement and selfconfidenceImprove communication between the generations

. Meland et al; 2004

http://www.tidsskriftet.no/index.php?seks_id=1039975


10 Norwegian teenagers about sexually transmitted diseases in high school

2 hours education (film)


Norwegian public health research about teenagers

• Playing, challenging, enjoying life• Want to look good!


STD!! Sexual transmitted diseases

• Strong increase• Easy to avoid• Enough information

but• Enough knowledge ?• Enough education ?• Difficult to practice safe sex or no sex ?


STD!! Sexually transmitted diseases in Norway

• Clamydia >25000 new cases each year• Genital herpes >30% infected – a chronic infection• Gonorrhea• Hepatitis• HIV• Others

Why ?


What is going on? and why?

Is this good for

our health?

our quality of life?

Is there a greater benefit than loss?

Do some people threaten your health to make business?


Dear friends,

Good luck with your good life !

Take good care of each other!

Sincerely yours

alfred

piercing, tattoo and infection. do we live up to our knowledge? alfred halstensen professor,...

Documents

lot of people

lot of ill people

people teenagersfocus

lot of experiencefocus

lot of education

old man

lot of dead peoplehas

self destructive activities