Cosmetic tattooing: A potential transmission route for HIV?

摘要

The transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is via blood and/or body fluids through sexual intercourse, mother to baby transmission, or direct inoculation through injecting-drug use or skin breaching activities such as tattooing and body piercing. Up to December 2004, a total of 4863 cases of HIV were diagnosed and notified in Victoria and 21 402 Australia-wide.1 Of note, notifications of new HIV diagnoses in women, many of whom are of child-bearing age, have increased from 74 (83%) in 1996 to 119 (14.5%) in 2004, hence the need for obstetricians to consider HIV in pregnancy.