A new medical study says one-fourth of body piercing in places other than the ear cause some complication, and one out of 100 non-ear piercings ends up in a hospital visit. (Now, this study was from Britain so there is no way to know how U.S. numbers might stack up.)
The New York Times explained:
The data, compiled in Britain by the Health Protection Agency and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, show that 25 percent of piercings in body areas other than the earlobe lead to complications, with one in 100 piercings resulting in a hospital admission. More than 10,000 people ages 16 and older took part in the survey, which was published online [in June] by the British Medical Journal. A 2002
study [PDF] of American college students also reported a high rate of complications, with 17 percent of students complaining of problems, including bleeding and infection. Nipple piercing appeared to be the most risky, with a 21 percent rate of bleeding or injury.
The
2002 study [PDF] has a detailed breakdown of the injuries reported for various types of piercings.
