MariaB
Posts: 2969
Joined: 4/3/2007
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I was a trained piercer before I started doing play piercings and so as far as health and safety and understanding the risks of cross contamination, I was able to run needle play workshops to pass on such information.
I wrote this for an Edgeplay site and think its probably the most important thing to read and understand before making that decision to pierce someone.
Oh no, I got a needle stick!
Risk of infection.
In most cases the actual risk of transmission of a blood borne pathogen following a needle-stick is extremely low. The most commonly transmissible diseases of concern to the piercer and the recipient are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis B: Of these HBV is the most transmissible, with a risk of infection following exposure of around 6-30%. (People that have achieved immunity after being covered with the hepatitis B vaccine are practically immune.)
Hepatitis C: Infection from HCV following a needle-stick is around 1.8%.
HIV: Risk of becoming infected with HIV is a mere 0.3%.
Of course the chance of transmission occurring is dependent of several factors including:
The viral load of the source person at the time of transmission.
The volume of infected blood transferred.
Universal precautions:
Always observe universal precautions. If you practice nothing else, practice this: every single person you pierce is HIV positive, has Hepatitis, Syphilis, and MRSA. Never rely on someone telling you they have just been tested and they are clean.
Got that? Now protect yourself accordingly:
Wash your hands. Before and after any intervention.
Gloves without exception.
Needles should go directly from patient into sharps bin in one motion. Never leave a sharp laying around to take care of *in just a second*.
Never, ever try to re-sheath or re-cap a needle.
200% attention when handling sharps.
Once bitten:
If you do experience a needle stick injury, immediately wash the site well with water. Squeezing or milking the site is of little benefit.
If the needle is still in the recipient DON'T REMOVE IT Removing it will transfer your blood into the recipient. Get your coats and both go to A & E.
Remember, the risk of transmission is determined by the type of exposure rather than the recipients risk factors.
You and the recipient will probably both need blood taken for serological testing for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HIV as soon as possible.
Depending on your immunization status you may need to have a course of HBV vaccine and a dose of hep B immunoglobulin.
If a significant exposure to HIV has occurred, retro-viral drug prophylaxis should be offered promptly. Use of such post exposure prophylaxis is not to be treated lightly and expert guidance should be sought.
Questions I get regularly asked at my workshops
Q. I would be too embarrassed to go to A & E what would I say?
A. A & E are used to staff getting needle sticks. As well as that they are used to seeing professional piercers and tattooists. They take this very seriously and will concentrate on your future health and not how this happened.
Q. Isn’t this spoiling the fun? I mean if its so dodgy then why do it ?
A. Every medic, pro piercer and tattooist in the land thinks about the risk of a needle stick and have planned appropriate action/precautions. Why would a play piercer be any different. Be honest with yourself. Would you really want to play with someone who never considered or took precautions against the risks?
Q. Why gloves? I mean a needle is going to go straight through a glove.
A. A glove will protect you from surface blood and protect the recipient from contaminants on your hands as well as any minor cuts. Research has shown that a puncture, by a needle through a latex glove and into the skin, regardless of the amount of blood on the needle will on average reduce it to just 0.064 micro litres. (Please see double Gloving)
.......................................................................................
Like others here have said, use disposable needles.
Make sure you have a sharps bin and make sure you dispose of that sharps bin at the appropriate place. In the UK you can take it into some chemists, no questions asked.
I can send on some pertinent information to you if you like. Its a good thing to learn and understand before you go along to your first workshop. Lots of people running workshops are teaching bad practice. Understanding the basics of good practice allow you to ask pertinent questions.
Don't just go to one workshop. Everyone has something different to offer.
On a side note... Unless I am doing a cannula piercing (permanent piercing or hook pulls) I pierce one handed and I teach others to pierce one handed. If I don't have the appropriate tools in my other hand, I want that hand well out of the way.
< Message edited by MariaB -- 2/6/2013 1:55:23 AM >
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My store is http://e-stimstore.com
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RE: Needle Play Questions - 
Profile
but if there's anything you would want to discuss further, you can email me and I will let Master know and I can show it to him and he will probably end up contacting you with my account, which is pretty much what he does these days lol. 
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