Health risks of piercing while pregnant
The Association for Professional Piercers states on their website: “It is...advisable to refrain from piercing during pregnancy to allow the body to focus on the important, complex, and demanding task that it is handling already.”
The two most serious risks are bacterial infection and infection with a transmittable disease. Bacterial infections occur frequently with piercings, especially in the mouth and genitals. These bacterial infections must be treated because a woman's health and pregnancy is at risk with such infections that can lead to loss of life for mother and unborn child.
Piercings, pregnancy and transmittable diseases
Transmittable diseases may occur less common because instruments used in piercings have to be disinfected according to health and safety regulations; however, if receiving a piercing in a different country or not by a professionally recognised piercer, the risks of disease infection are far higher. Unclean needles and instruments have resulted in cases of infection with hepatitis B or C and also HIV and AIDS. Men who opt to have ampallang or palang piercings without proper surgical care and testing for STDs increase the risks of infecting their pregnant partner, and carrying foetus, substantially.
Piercing in pregnancy also carries other risks that include:
- blood loss (especially in tongue piercings)
- inflamed skin
- keloid scarring
- inflammation of the heart valves (endocarditis)
- fractured teeth (particular to oral piercings)
- speech impediments (particular to oral piercings)
- painful urination and sex (related to genital piercings)
Although these risks affect anyone with a piercing, they are heightened in a pregnant woman because of the physical changes occurring in her body as a result of the developing foetus.
Sleeping during Pregnancy:
- Piercing and Pregnancy
- Health risks of piercing while pregnant
- Physical pregnancy changes and piercing risks
- Piercing decisions, healing and infection when pregnant
- Body piercings and the birth process
- What to tell the piercer if pregnant
- Some piercing studio guidelines for pregnant women
- Piercing gun or needle piercing during pregnancy
- Piercing products for pregnancy
- Body piercings and UK legalities
Pregnancy Guide
- Pregnancy & Birth Guide
- Pregnancy
- Signs of Pregnancy
- Symptoms you Shouldn’t Ignore
- A Pregnant Mother’s Developing Body
- Pregnancy calendar
- The Role of the Expectant Father
- What you should and shouldn’t do during Pregnancy
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Methods of Testing
- Exercise during Pregnancy
- Pregnancy - Expecting Twins or More
- Pregnancy Predicaments
- Sleeping during Pregnancy
- Having Another baby
- Having a baby over 35
- Losing a baby
- Myths about Pregnancy
- Plus Size Pregnancy
- Piercing and Pregnancy
- Tanning and Pregnancy
- Tattoos and Pregnancy
- Pregnancy FAQ
Related Guides
- Pregnancy & Birth Guide
- Guide to Getting Pregnant
- Guide to Pregnancy
- Guide to Giving Birth
- Guide to Pregnancy Tests
- Mother, Baby & Beyond Guide
- Guide to Pain Relief in Labour
- Guide to pregnancy scans
- Pregnancy calendar guide
- Baby calendar guide
- Child development calendar guide
- Guide to miscarriage
- Guide to breastfeeding
- Guide to sleeping for mother & baby
- Guide to birth defects
- Guide to Post Natal depression