Tattooing and Risk of Hepatitis B: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

attooing and body arts have become more prevalent in recent years, their popularity increasing among young adults. A population-based study revealed that one third of people younger than 30 years old in the United States have at least one tattoo. 1 Canadian data indicate that around 8% of high school students have at least one tattoo 2,3 and that 21% of those who did not have a tattoo were eager to have one. Tattooing requires injection of pigments into the dermal layer of skin by repeated puncture of the skin. Such close contact of the tattoo instruments with blood and bodily fluids may cause transmission of viral and bacterial infections if the instruments are used on more than one person without being sterilized. In North America, most cases of hepatitis B infection occur via blood or sexual contact. 4 Acute hepatitis B infection causes chronic infection in 6-10% of adolescents and adults; chronic infection can lead to liver cirrhosis and to cancer. 5 Thus, cases of hepatitis B infection due to tattooing have important clinical and public health implications. Results from epidemiologic studies regarding the risk of hepatitis among tattooed individuals are conflicting; 3,6 therefore, we conducted a review of the current literature in order to quantify, in a systematic fashion and by using appropriate meta-analytical techniques, the risk of transmission of hepatitis B infection.

Is there a risk of transfusion‐transmissible infections after percutaneous needle treatments in blood donors? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review (with meta‐analyses) that identified and analysed the link between different percutaneous treatments and TTIs in a Western blood donor population. Two other systematic reviews (with meta‐analyses) investigated the link between tattooing and HBV/HCV infection in a general population (including nondonors and non‐Western countries) . Our conclusions are in line with these two reviews, namely a positive association between tattooing and HBV infection (OR 1·47, 95% CI [1·12, 1·92] in a community sample) or HCV infection (OR 4·09, 95% CI [2·80, 5·98] in a blood donor population from both Western and non‐Western countries).…”

Hepatitis B in Egypt: A cross‐sectional analysis of prevalence and risk factors for active infection from a nationwide survey

“…8 Little is known about HBV prevalence among specific risk groups in Egypt (eg, intravenous drug users), in contrast to HCV. 9 And while risk factors for HBV infection are well-characterised in the literature in general, [10][11][12] data specific to the Egyptian context are few and multiple modes of transmission have been noted. 13 Previous work in Egypt has shown strong associations between distal risk factors such as literacy and HBV risk, 14 but age-related effects have not been investigated, although a cohort effect in HCV prevalence has been demonstrated possibly resulting from parenteral antischistosomal therapy (PAT) campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s.…”

Is Tattooing a Risk Factor for Hepatitis C Transmission?: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Regular monitoring and supervision by health care centers may improve adherence to the standards in tattoo parlors. Records of tattoo recipients should be kept by tattoo parlors and they should report any side effects relating to tattooing to local health centers (71). Finally, it is suggested that clinicians consider screening for hepatitis C and other blood-born viral infections among those who have a history of receiving tattoos as a high-risk population.…”