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Residents Reminded to Consider Health and Safety Risks When Getting Body Art
July 11, 2014
For Immediate Release: July 11, 2014
LANSING, Mich. – Body art modification has become increasingly popular with one out of four persons ages 18-25 in the United States now having tattoo or body piercing. As body art such as tattoos or piercings becomes more common, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is urging residents to protect their health and wellness by working with a local state licensed body art facility for their body art.
Beginning this week, the MDCH is running public service announcements on Pandora Radio through August to help educate Michigan residents about the risks associated with getting body art from an unlicensed facility. Residents interested in body art modification can protect themselves against infection by choosing licensed body art facilities when electing a tattoo or body piercing procedure.
Body art procedures are invasive processes that can be associated with serious health risks including transmission of bloodborne diseases such as Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). These procedures also carry the risk of skin infections such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
In 2010, State of Michigan Public Act 375 was enacted to encourage and require collaborative on-site facility inspections of body art facilities in Michigan to ensure the health and safety of residents. Public Act 375, along with the Body Art Licensing Program at MDCH, requires licensed body art facilities to adhere to a uniform set of standards to protect the health and safety of body art practitioners, their customers, and the general public.
To learn more about the MDCH Body Art Licensing Program, body art procedure risks, body art facility licensing requirements, or to find a list of local state licensed body art facilities, visit the MDCH website at www.michigan.gov/bodyart.
To listen to Michigan’s new public service announcements about body art safety, visit the MDCH YouTube page at www.youtube.com/michigandch.
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