What Are The Risks Of Getting Hiv From A Tattoo
There are no known cases of anyone getting HIV from having a tattoo, however, that doesnt mean that the risk is not there.
It is possible to get HIV this way through an unsterilized needle or from contaminated ink that has been shared.
The best way to reduce the risk is to make sure that the tattoo studio and the tattoo artist that you use are licensed and that they are hygienic in their procedures.
If I Have Sex With A Commercial Sex Worker Will I Get Hiv
Unprotected sex places you at a high risk of contracting the virus whether it is with a commercial sex worker or anybody else. Statistics from the Caribbean and several other parts of the world have shown that there is a higher prevalence or occurrence of HIV in commercial sex workers . Therefore by having unprotected sex with a commercial sex worker the risk of contracting HIV is high.
What We Know About Injecting Drugs
The risk for getting or transmitting HIV is very high if an HIV-negative person uses needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment after someone with HIV has used them. This is because the needles, syringes, or other injection equipment may have blood in them, and blood can carry HIV. Likewise, youre at risk for getting or transmitting hepatitis B and C if you share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment because these infections are also transmitted through blood.
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In 2017, 6% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States were attributed to injection drug use and 3% were attributed to injection drug use and male-to-male sexual contact . On average, an HIV-negative person has about a 1 in 160 chance of getting HIV every time they share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment with a person who has HIV.
More Information There may be extremely tiny amounts of blood in syringes or works that you may not be able to see, but could still carry HIV. Be aware that HIV can survive in a used syringe for up to 42 days depending on temperature and other factors.
There are medicines to treat hepatitis B. If youve never had hepatitis B, theres a vaccine to prevent it. There are medicines to treat hepatitis C, but they arent right for everyone. Theres no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. Talk to your health care provider to learn more about hepatitis B and C.
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Hiv Alert Is Skin Deep
Hysteria about fear of infection from tattoos is unfounded, artists insist
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Those who love body art are on alert following a news report that a man in Loei claimed his 22-year-old daughter died of complications from Human Immunodeficiency Virus late last month and all of her three friends who went to get tattoos together in Bangkok in March had also died.
Many doctors and medical personnel quickly rebutted the claim and told the public that it is not possible that HIV can develop at such a pace. However, sanitary and safety concern related to tattooing has been raised.
“It’s not possible to reach stage three in five months or even a year,” said Dr Alisra Tatakorn, doctor and director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Aids, Tuberculosis and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Division, Health Department.
The deceased girl spent her last days in Chiang Mai at Nakhon Ping Hospital where she learned that she was at the third stage of HIV — the stage where a patient is often diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome .
The girl succumbed on the last day of August, with her death certificate stating the causes of death were hypovolemic shock, acute diarrhea, and Stage 3 HIV.
The certificate said she had been living with HIV for over a year at the time of her death.
Elaborating on the nature of HIV, Dr Alisra said that about two weeks after being exposed to the virus, patients will experience fever and swollen lymph nodes.
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Whats The Difference Between Hiv And Aids
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. And people with HIV do not always have AIDS.
HIV is the virus thats passed from person to person. Over time, HIV destroys an important kind of the cell in your immune system that helps protect you from infections. When you dont have enough of these CD4 cells, your body cant fight off infections the way it normally can.
AIDS is the disease caused by the damage that HIV does to your immune system. You have AIDS when you get dangerous infections or have a super low number of CD4 cells. AIDS is the most serious stage of HIV, and it leads to death over time.
Without treatment, it usually takes about 10 years for someone with HIV to develop AIDS. Treatment slows down the damage the virus causes and can help people stay healthy for several decades.
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Ways Hiv Can Be Transmitted
How is HIV passed from one person to another?
Most people get HIV through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment . But there are powerful tools to help prevent HIV transmission.
Can I get HIV from anal sex?
You can get HIV if you have anal sex with someone who has HIV without using protection .
- Anal sex is the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV.
- Being the receptive partner is riskier than being the insertive partner .
- The bottoms risk is higher because the rectums lining is thin and may allow HIV to enter the body during anal sex.
- The top is also at risk. HIV can enter the body through the opening at the tip of the penis the foreskin if the penis isnt circumcised or small cuts, scratches, or open sores anywhere on the penis.
Can I get HIV from vaginal sex?
You can get HIV if you have vaginal sex with someone who has HIV without using protection .
- Vaginal sex is less risky for getting HIV than receptive anal sex.
- Either partner can get HIV during vaginal sex.
- HIV can enter a persons body during vaginal sex through the delicate tissue that lines the vagina and cervix.
- Vaginal fluid and blood can carry HIV, which can pass through the opening at the tip of the penis the foreskin if the penis isnt circumcised or small cuts, scratches, or open sores anywhere on the penis.
Can HIV be transmitted from a mother to her baby?Can I get HIV from sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment?
Back Tattoos And Epidurals
Since the back is such a broad canvas for tattoo art, its a common spot to get inked. But a back tattoo may spell trouble for getting an epidural during delivery.
Some anesthesiologists will not place an epidural through a tattoo on your back, Demosthenes noted.
However, with a little research, you should be able to determine ahead of time whether your hospital or birthing center performs epidurals over back tattoos, and, if not, what other options are available to you.
As for the safety of getting an epidural with ink on your back, Demosthenes said its essentially a non-issue: Most of the evidence is that it is safe to have an epidural with a back tattoo, so theres little to worry about there.
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How Tattoos Can Spread Hepatitis
Getting a tattoo requires that your skin is pierced by a needle and injected with tiny amounts of ink. The bigger the tattoo, the more injections youll need, and each injection brings the needle into contact with your blood . This isnt a problem if that needle is brand new and never came into contact with any infectious agents. But what happens if the artist already used your needle on someone else? Then you become exposed to any microbes in that persons blood, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and even HIV if he or she harbors those diseases.
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Hepatitis C And Tattooing: Can You Get Hepatitis From Tattoos
Whether if it is for symbolic sentimentalities, self-expression, artistic freedom, or a visual display of a personal narrative, tattoos have always remained popular for a multitude of reasons. As the art form continues to move from the fringes into the mainstream, many have begun to wonder whether it poses any risk of infection from blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis C.
Continue reading further to learn about the possible health risks associated with infected tattoos.
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How Do You Contract Bloodborne Pathogens From Tattoos
Needlestick injuries are the primary concern when it comes to transmitting bloodborne pathogens. Drug users have a higher risk of disease, and health care workers must take extra precautions when working with needles.
The same is true for tattoo artists. They use a hand-held tattoo machine, which has a needle to puncture the top layer of the skin and inject ink into the next layer, the dermis. The needle moves in and out of your skin rapidly, similar to a sewing machine action, hitting your skin anywhere from 50 to 3,000 times each minute.
The needle forces tiny droplets of ink into the dermis with each impact. The dermis is full of nerves, glands, and blood vessels. Not only does it hurt, but it also makes you bleed.
Contaminated equipment can spread bloodborne pathogens. Your tattoo is an open wound, and there is little interference if a bloodborne pathogen is present in the ink, needle, or another piece of equipment. Any bodily fluid that makes contact with a tattoo can also potentially spread a bloodborne pathogen.
No 5 Having Vaginal Sex : 1 In 2500
A woman who is HIV positive can transmit the virus to her male partner through vaginal fluid and blood, which may pass through the urethra , the foreskin , or any open sores on the penis.
- Reduce the risk. Using a condom and water- or silicone-based lubricants, which can help lessen the chance that condoms will break or slip can help reduce a mans risk of getting HIV from an HIV-positive partner. Female condoms, which are made of a synthetic latex called nitrile and fit into the vagina during sex, are as protective as male condoms.
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Is The Risk Of Hiv Different For Different People
Although HIV risk factors and routes of transmission apply to everyone equally, some people are at higher risk because of where they live and who their sex partners are.
The percentage of people living with HIV is higher in major metropolitan areas, so people who live there are more likely to encounter an HIV-positive person among their possible sex partners. In the same way, because the prevalence of HIV is higher among gay and bisexual men and among black and Latino men and women, members of these groups are more likely to encounter partners who are living with HIV.
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How It Could Be Transmitted
HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood and saliva. The tattoo process involves several needles piercing the skin and inserting ink into the dermis which is the second layer of skin.
If this is done using a gun that hasnt been disinfected or needles that arent disposable, there could be a possibility of infection. However, there are no known cases of this happening in the US.
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Why Transmission Is Unlikely
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the risk of HIV through tattooing or body piercing is considered low to negligible.
While the CDC accedes that there is a theoretical risk of transmission, there has yet to be a single documented case of HIV by any form of body art.
This is largely due to the fact that transmission could only occur if:
Within the context of body art, the likelihood of these conditions being satisfied as incredibly slim. The opportunity for infection is nowhere near as strong as, say, injecting drug use in which HIV-infected blood is delivered directly into a vein.
How Is Hiv Passed From One Person To Another
HIV is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment such as needles with someone who has HIV.
Only certain fluidsblood, semen , pre-seminal fluid , rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milkfrom an HIV-infected person can transmit HIV. These fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream for transmission to possibly occur. Mucous membranes can be found inside the rectum, the vagina, the opening of the penis, and the mouth.
In the Australia, HIV is spread mainly by
- Having sex with someone who has HIV. In general:
- Anal sex is the highest-risk sexual behavior. Receptive anal sex is riskier than insertive anal sex .
- Vaginal sex is the second highest-risk sexual behavior.
- Having multiple sex partners or having other sexually transmitted infections can increase the risk of infection through sex.
Less commonly, HIV may be spread by
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Can I Become Infected With Hiv If I Inject Drugs And Share The Needles With Someone Else Without Sterilizing The Needles
We strongly recommend that you use new equipment every time you inject. You can get new equipment from Counterpoint Needle & Syringe Program at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection.
There is a possibility of becoming infected with HIV if you share injecting equipment with someone who has the virus. If HIV infected blood remains inside the needle or in the syringe and someone else then uses it to inject themselves, that blood can be flushed into the bloodstream. Sharing needles, syringes, spoons, filters or water can pass on the virus. Disinfecting equipment between uses can reduce the likelihood of transmission, but does not eliminate it.
Selecting Where To Get A Tattoo Or Piercing
Here are some tips to help you make safe and informed decisions about where and how to get a tattoo or piercing:
- Check out many different artists. Is the artist a professional? If the artist is not a professional, your chances of getting poor work done, as well as getting infections and viruses increases.
- Everything New, Every Time. The artist should use new needles, ink, ink pots, jewelry, and tattooing stencils basically everything that cannot be properly sterilized.
- Ask questions and don’t be afraid to walk out! A good artist will always be comfortable answering anything you have to ask such as: How many years have you been tattooing/piercing for?, Where did you apprentice, May I see your portfolio?, Do you use new needles/ink/jewelry/gloves/razors/etc. every time?
- Look for: Health Board Inspection Certificate, clean and tidy work area, an autoclave to properly sterilize the permanent equipment, biohazard containers to throw away used needles and other pieces of equipment that are exposed to bodily fluids.
- Piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized because they are made of plastic. Do not allow yourself to be pierced with a piercing gun.
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What We Know About Anal Sex
Anal sex is the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV. Although receptive anal sex is much riskier for getting HIV than insertive anal sex, its possible for either partnerthe insertive or receptiveto get HIV.
An HIV-negative receptive partners risk of getting HIV is very high because the lining of the rectum is thin. HIV can enter the body through this lining during anal sex from body fluids that carry HIV, including semen or pre-seminal fluid .
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On average, an HIV-negative receptive partner has about a 1 in 70 chance of getting HIV every time they have receptive anal sex with a partner who has HIV.
Being the receptive partner for anal sex is about 13 times more risky for getting HIV from a partner with HIV than being the insertive partner.
For women, anal sex is about 17 times more risky for getting HIV from a man with HIV than vaginal sex.
If the partner with HIV takes HIV medicine as prescribed, and gets and keeps an undetectable viral load , you have effectively no risk of getting HIV through sex with that partner.
See how receptive anal sex compares to other sexual activities here.
An HIV-negative insertive partner is also at risk because HIV can enter the body through the opening at the tip of the penis the foreskin if the penis isnt circumcised or small cuts, scratches, or open sores anywhere on the penis. There is some evidence that circumcision decreases a mans risk of getting HIV during sex.
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Can A Person Get A Tattoo If They Have Hepatitis C
A person with hepatitis C may still get a tattoo, but they should tell their tattoo artist. Some artists may not be comfortable tattooing in this case, or may advise them to wait until their treatment is complete.
A person with hepatitis C wishing to get a tattoo should seek out an artist who is qualified and experienced in tattooing people with hepatitis C. The artist may take further measures during the tattoo, such as wearing a mask or adding extra plastic coverings on surfaces.
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