JPAC Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee

Body Piercing

Including

Derma-rolling, ear and body piercing, permanent and semi-permanent make-up and tattooing (including memorial tattoos).

Obligatory

Must not donate if:
Less than12 months from last piercing.

Discretionary

a) If after four months, a validated test for hepatitis B core antibody is negative, accept.

b) Painting, stencilling or transfers applied to the skin without piercing, accept.

Additional Information

Piercing has passed infection from person to person. Waiting 12 months helps to ensure that the infections tested for by the Blood and Tissues Services will be picked up.

This guidance presumes that a validated NAT test for hepatitis C is negative. If this test is stopped, the guidance will change. During the recovery phase of HBV infection, levels of free HBsAg may be too low to detect and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen may be the only indicator of infectivity.

Information

Part of this entry is a requirement of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005.

Reason for change

The addition of guidance on memorial tattoos.

Donor Information

If you wish to obtain more information regarding a personal medical issue please contact your National Help Line.

Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers.

Update Information

This entry was last updated in:
DSG-WB Edition 203, Release 31.