Dear Readers,
In response to enquiries reaching the HIV Mailbox, in relation to ‘the possibility of contracting HIV through tattooing and other body piercing’, and ‘how well does HIV survive outside the body’ , today we bring you guidelines as published by the (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Shirla Response: A risk of HIV transmission does exist if instruments contaminated with blood are either not sterilized or disinfected or are used inappropriately between clients. CDC recommends that single-use instruments intended to penetrate the skin be used once, then disposed of.

Re-usable instruments or devices that penetrate the skin and/or contact a client’s blood should be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized between clients.

Personal service workers who do tattooing or body piercing should be educated about how HIV is transmitted and take precautions to prevent transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections in their settings.

If you are considering getting a tattoo or having your body pierced, ask staff at the establishment what procedures they use to prevent the spread of HIV and other blood-borne infections, such as the hepatitis B virus. You also may call the local health department to find out what sterilization procedures are in place in the local area for these types of establishments. (Source: CDC)