The think tank has invited public opinion about the document which shall be updated based on the inputs received from various stakeholders
To address the lack of guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to practice body-piercing art, including tattooing and piercing of body parts, Health Parliament formulated draft guideline on “Standard Body Piercing Practice” to institutionalise the body-art sector in the country to prevent the latent epidemic of infectious blood-borne and skin diseases caused due to unsafe practices.
The practice of body piercing is a public health concern as it involves piercing of the skin with the help of needles and pigments, which can be hazardous to the health of the body-art provider and the client. Unsafe skin-piercing activities and the usage of pigments in the practice of tattooing are responsible for fatal infections like, but not limited to, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), skin allergies, etc.
On the occasion of releasing these guidelines, Professor Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Founder, Health Parliament, said, “Body piercing is an art if done following the SOPs and guidelines, else, it is akin to a stab and can cost a life, and tattooing is becoming hugely popular amongst the youth, we are sure these guidelines will be helping in inking India safe.”
This is a draft guideline and we invite public opinion about the document available on our website https://parliament.health/our-work/., he added.
Based on the inputs received from various stakeholders, the document shall be updated.