Do tattoos give you hepatitis?

Question

My grandma says that 90% of people with hepatitis get it from their tattoos because there is something wrong with the ink. Is that true?

Answer 1

Grandma is WRONG. If you did get hepatitis from a tattoo (and it is possible) it comes from blood getting mixed into the ink that they put in the skin, not the ink itself. And it's not anywhere near 90% of hepatitis victims that got it from a tattoo. Most tattoo shops always use sterilized needles and little ink pots that they trow away after working on someone. Most people get hepatitis from unprotected sex. Granny just has a problem with tats and is trying to scare you! Don't believe her crap!

Answer 2

There are different forms of hepatitis. Some are transmitted through the blood, so it is possible to get infected with a contaminated needle. Since hepatitis is caused by different viruses, I'm not sure how it can live in tattoo ink.

Answer 3

I don't know that it is 90%, and I do not believe the problem is the ink, but yes, many people get hepatitis in the tattoo parlor. My understanding is that the primary cause is the unclean needles.

Answer 4

No it's not a problem with the ink. It's because the tattoo shop has been unclean in their practices. For example: Using the same tattoo needle for more than one customer. Today's tattoo shops have disposable needles and SHOULD use a new one for each customer. You need to make sure of that before getting a tattoo.

Answer 5

you could contract hepatitis via tattoos not because of the ink but because of the use of non sterized needles. or if the tattoo artists who have hepatitis innocently infect you via his blood into an open cut of yours. which is unlikely. this is the serum or hepatitis B which has a vaccine. Hepatitis B is transmitted thru infected blood such as blood transfusions ,semen and vaginal secretions and use of unsterilized needles at the injection sites.

if left untreated hepatitis B would lead to a chronic condition such as liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. this is the type that needs liver transplants.

so make sure the needle he uses is sterilized.

Answer 6

No, needles that have previously been used on people with hepatitis can give you hepatitis, though...Just like if you did drugs with a needle that someone else had used. BTW, same with AIDS and other blood-born diseases.

The ink has nothing to do with it.

Answer 7

hello ... fellow puerto rican?? :-)

no, that's not true...what happens is that years ago, people got tattooed at not-so-clean-and-hygienic places... that's why this kind of diseases would spread thru needles that were not sterilized and so on

that's why now tattoo shops need a license from Health authorities to operate, and need to sterilize everything or use new-from-the-package materials, only for you that they will throw in the garbage after one use... precisely so they won't be spreading any diseases, not only to customers, but to protect themselves (that's also why now all tattoo artists use gloves, etc.)

Those are the kind of tales that grandmas tell, that's what happened a long time ago, but you don't have to worry about that now.. especially if you go to a good tattoo shop that's hygienic and professional.

y.

Answer 8

no its not true at all. its definetly possible in a dirty tattoo parlor. but its not the ink that gives to hepatitus its the utensils if they are not clean and if they use used needles. most tattoo shops are clean and they open the ink and tattoo gun and open the gloves right in front of you. if they dont just go somewhere else

Answer 9

About the 90% of people getting it from tattoos im not sure. But you can get it from tattoos. I wrote some information underneath this

The word hepatitis simply means an inflammation of the liver without pinpointing a specific cause. Someone with hepatitis may:

have one of several disorders, including viral or bacterial infection of the liver
have a liver injury caused by a toxin (poison)
have liver damage caused by interruption of the organ's normal blood supply
be experiencing an attack by his or her own immune system through an autoimmune disorder
have experienced trauma to the abdomen in the area of the liver
Hepatitis is most commonly caused by one of three viruses:

the hepatitis A virus
the hepatitis B virus
the hepatitis C virus
In some rare cases, the Epstein Barr Virus (which causes mononucleosis) can also result in hepatitis because it can cause inflammation of the liver. Other viruses and bacteria that also can cause hepatitis include hepatitis D and E, varicella (chickenpox), and cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Hepatitis A
In children, the most common form of hepatitis is hepatitis A (also called infectious hepatitis). This form is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which lives in the stools (feces or poop) of infected individuals. Infected stool can be present in small amounts in food and on objects (from doorknobs to diapers).

The hepatitis A virus is spread:

when someone ingests anything that's contaminated with HAV-infected stool (this makes it easy for the virus to spread in overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions)
in water, milk, and foods, especially in shellfish
Because hepatitis A can be a mild infection, particularly in children, it's possible for some people to be unaware that they have had the illness. In fact, although medical tests show that about 40% of urban Americans have had hepatitis A, only about 5% recall being sick. Although the hepatitis A virus can cause prolonged illness up to 6 months, it typically only causes short-lived illnesses and it does not cause chronic liver disease.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B (also called serum hepatitis) is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from general malaise to chronic liver disease that can lead to liver cancer.

The hepatitis B virus spreads through:

infected body fluids, such as blood, saliva, semen, vaginal fluids, tears, and urine
a contaminated blood transfusion (uncommon in the United States)
shared contaminated needles or syringes for injecting drugs
sexual activity with an HBV-infected person
transmission from HBV-infected mothers to their newborn babies
Hepatitis C
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by direct contact with an infected person's blood. The symptoms of the hepatitis C virus can be very similar to those of the hepatitis A and B viruses. However, infection with the hepatitis C virus can lead to chronic liver disease and is the leading reason for liver transplant in the United States.

The hepatitis C virus can be spread by:

sharing drug needles
getting a tattoo or body piercing with unsterilized tools
blood transfusions (especially ones that occurred before 1992; since then the U.S. blood supply has been routinely screened for the disease)
transmission from mother to newborn
sexual contact (although this is less common)
Hepatitis C is also a common threat in kidney dialysis centers. Rarely, people living with an infected person can contract the disease by sharing items that might contain that person's blood, such as razors or toothbrushes.

Answer 10

It depends what parlor you go to. Those not regulated by local hospitals or govenrment generally reuse preused needles during their procedures. This is where Hepatitis comes in. You could also get blood-born AIDS if you are not careful.

If you are considering getting a tatoo, I recommend that you don't.