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Tattooing and the risk of HIV
Hi expert!
My boyfriend spent some time in Thailand in January and came home with a tattoo. It was done in a tattoo parlour (not the bamboo tattoos some people get in Thailand) but i am concerned about potential HIV risks. He got tested and the result was negative. My concerns are, however:
(a) That he contracted HIV from the instruments even though it was a 'proper' tattoo parlour
(b) It was too early to test - I'm not sure when he got the test but it certainly wasn't three months after the exposure (and may not even have been six weeks after the exposure)
(c) That I am now at risk of contracting the disease.
Is this a bit of overkill? How risky is getting a tattoo in Thailand in this sense? Is there any data regarding people who have contracted HIV in this way? I am freaking out!
Thanks - Clare :)
My boyfriend spent some time in Thailand in January and came home with a tattoo. It was done in a tattoo parlour (not the bamboo tattoos some people get in Thailand) but i am concerned about potential HIV risks. He got tested and the result was negative. My concerns are, however:
(a) That he contracted HIV from the instruments even though it was a 'proper' tattoo parlour
(b) It was too early to test - I'm not sure when he got the test but it certainly wasn't three months after the exposure (and may not even have been six weeks after the exposure)
(c) That I am now at risk of contracting the disease.
Is this a bit of overkill? How risky is getting a tattoo in Thailand in this sense? Is there any data regarding people who have contracted HIV in this way? I am freaking out!
Thanks - Clare :)
Thank you for your clear and very prompt response Dr José - it is much appreciated!
Clare
Clare
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello Clare,
Thank you very much for your post and welcome to our forum.
Risk of contracting HIV from having a tattoo is extremely low and I do not believe that you need to worry. However Hepatitis C is much more commonly transmitted this way becuase the virus can survive much longer on inert equipment, unlike HIV. I do not have any statistics about Thailand on this.
In any case, regarding HIV, one does not have to wait 3 months to get a conclusive result; a negative HIV Duo test after 4 weeks is more than enough. Regarding Hep C, an antibody test would be fully conclusive after 12 weeks.
I think you need to relax and not worry so much. For you to contract any of these infections, your boyfriend would have had to contract them in the first place; highly unlikely in the case of HIV, and Hep C is very difficult to be transmitted through sexual intercourse as it is mostly transmitted through contaminated needles or equipment.
Best wishes,
Dr José
Thank you very much for your post and welcome to our forum.
Risk of contracting HIV from having a tattoo is extremely low and I do not believe that you need to worry. However Hepatitis C is much more commonly transmitted this way becuase the virus can survive much longer on inert equipment, unlike HIV. I do not have any statistics about Thailand on this.
In any case, regarding HIV, one does not have to wait 3 months to get a conclusive result; a negative HIV Duo test after 4 weeks is more than enough. Regarding Hep C, an antibody test would be fully conclusive after 12 weeks.
I think you need to relax and not worry so much. For you to contract any of these infections, your boyfriend would have had to contract them in the first place; highly unlikely in the case of HIV, and Hep C is very difficult to be transmitted through sexual intercourse as it is mostly transmitted through contaminated needles or equipment.
Best wishes,
Dr José
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