Posts
The United Kingdom’s Local
Government Association (LGA) warned that unlicensed tattooists and tattoo
parlors put customers at risk for HIV, hepatitis, and permanent scarring
because they use substandard equipment and fail to sterilize equipment
properly. According to Mehboob Khan, chairperson of LGA’s Safer and Stronger
Communities Board, unlicensed tattooists lure customers away from licensed
tattoo parlors with cheap prices. Unregulated tattooists, who work in homes,
pubs, clubs, and garden sheds, also are unlikely to ask about their client’s
age or medical history.
Khan recommended that anyone
planning to have body art seek out a registered tattooist; anyone who has used
an unlicensed tattooist should consult a physician and report the unlicensed
parlor to local authorities. Licensed tattooist Kevin Paul urged people with
tattoo equipment to register with local authorities and to follow health and
safety guidelines. The United Kingdom has more than 1,500 licensed tattoo
parlors, and approximately 3 in 10 persons ages 25–34 in the United Kingdom
have at least one tattoo. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, unlicensed
tattooists may lose their equipment and face unlimited fines and up to two
years of imprisonment.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
