STH Body Jewelry Blog

Health officials say the incident shows how important it is for people to investigate any body modification business before having procedures done.

Dr. Margaret Fast, medical officer with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, is tight-lipped about the particulars of the incident, saying only that three teenagers had piercings done at the home of an unlicensed operator a few weeks ago.

The operation was unsanitary, she said, and the teens were put at significant health risk. The case came to light when one of the teens reported to the city’s Children’s Hospital.

“What brought this particular child to the attention of the emergency department was a bacterial infection. But the infections that we’re also concerned about are the ones that you can’t see, like hepatitis B or hepatitis C,” Fast said.

New bylaw to regulate piercers

The warning comes just weeks before the city implements a new bylaw to control body piercing.

The head of the city’s environmental health services, Brian Rivet, says the bylaw requires all piercers to be licensed, and it will give his inspectors the tools to crack down on operations like the one where the teens were pierced.

“Certainly we would pay attention to that. We’re going to be watching for anybody that’s underground,” he said.

The new bylaw will also require minors to be accompanied by a guardian for any procedure. Fast says parents should talk to kids about body modification and do everything they can to inspect operations ahead of time.