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Straight from the Hear:Tattooing, but at what cost?

11/22/2009

By Rev. Lucille Baird

“I give you bitter pills in sugar coating. The pills are harmless; the poison is in the sugar.”
– Stanislaw LEC

Today I wish to venture into some very deep waters and as usual, revisit an issue that has some troubling, long-term, social, moral and spiritual consequences on our homes, society and on our future.

I had written before in 2004 on the topic of tattooing, warning of the deadly negatives attached to this fad. It’s alarming that in 2009, just a mere five years later, almost the ‘whole world’, excluding the very old, the very sick, a few Christians, a few “old fashioned” fuddy-duddies and most Muslims, are now tattoo-less.

Who would have thunk it? Yet, there is a deadly cost to tattooing. For underneath that “harmless” tattoo is a very serious risk of acquiring deadly blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tetanus, syphilis and tuberculosis.

A research study published by Dr. Bob Haley and Dr. Paul Fisher at the University of Texas South Western Medical School found that commercially acquired tattoos account for more than twice as many hepatitis C infections as injection-drug use. This means tattoos may be the single largest contributor to the nation-wide
hepatitis epidemic in the US.

According to Dr. Haley’s research, one is twice as likely to be infected with hepatitis C from a tattoo shop as from shooting dope. Indeed, in 1961, an outbreak of hepatitis B in New York City was linked to tattoo parlours.

Perhaps this link between hepatitis and tattoos is one of the reasons why the American Red Cross prohibits people from donating blood for 12 months after obtaining a tattoo.

There is also the possibility of blood poisoning from an unsterilized needle since there is no regulation governing tattoo artists. According to research published in the Journal of School Health, 70 per cent of the 642 adolescents surveyed reported haemorrhaging while being tattooed.

Additionally, tattoos can cause sarcoid skin disorders (skin nodules), keloids, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis and benign or malignant tumours. Also, the pigment in the tattoo ink contains small metal fibres such as iron oxide, which can cause a burning pain during MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) procedures.

Why are tattoos so vulnerable to diseases? Simply because there is no guarantee that the tattoo artist is maintaining the highest standards of sterilization possible. Take the case of a 22-year-old grocery store employee, who got a $45 tattoo and four weeks later needed a liver transplant! Or ask actress Pamela Anderson how she became infected by the deadly hepatitis C … through a simple “Tommy” tattoo.

In Barbados, we’re known for following every European or American fad, without awareness of the consequences, and we have adopted the tattoo fad.

But what breaks my heart is the numberless tattoos that our children, young women, mothers and grandmothers are plastering all over their bodies, in places hitherto-fore thought to be “private” places, and the effort that they must now make to show off these tattoos are creative and gross.

Sadly, these individuals have given little thought to the long-term social and spiritual down-side of their tattoos and the fact that they are not permitted to give blood in the event of an emergency to any dying family member.

Why would anyone in their right mind wish to disadvantage themselves and expose their loved ones to such a danger? It’s unconscionable. The removal of tattoos after one changes their mind and lifestyle is literally impossible, or very expensive.

Still, most persons don’t know or don’t care to accept that God, in His divine wisdom, spoke against tattooing of their bodies. “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am
the LORD.” (Lev 19:28 KJV). Spiritually, some tattoos do carry implications that can only be removed through counselling and spiritual cleansing.

Notwithstanding, the cost of tattooing in our society is alarming. Many have agreed that most tattooed persons are from the lower social strata – some on welfare with four to six children to feed – yet these women have these expensive tattoos all over their bodies, including their faces.

So some questions must be asked. How many children must go to school hungry so that their parents can have ‘body art’? How many are deprived of books, school clothes or the necessary health care so that their inconsiderate mothers or fathers can have “ink” on their bodies?

It’s easy to say “It’s my body and my life and I can do what I wish.” But, if the resulting consequence is of significant cost to our society, to our future generation, and on our social structures, then it’s the “people’s business” to be overly concerned about the avalanche of tattooing going on in our society with our citizens.
This tattooing is at a detrimental cost to our Government and its people, with all the health risks and social negatives attached.

It’s time for our health care officials to put some serious measures in place to monitor the impact of tattooing on our health care system and our society. It might be a case of too little too late, but we can, if possible, save some of the next generation from this deadly fad and reduce the continuous cost to our society in our ailing economy.

(Rev. Dr. Lucille Baird MBE, Senior Pastor of Mount Zion’s Missions Inc. revonita@hotmail.com)

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as of close 9/15/2009


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