Wales bans intimate piercings for U18s

Wales has banned under-18s from having initimate piercings to protect their “health and well-being”.

The law comes into force on Thursday and makes it illegal for piercing practitioners to organise or carry out the piercings on anybody under the age of 18.

Piercing is banned on 10 specific intimate body areas, including genitalia, nipples and tongues.

Wales is the first country in the UK to introduce the nationwide ban.

It comes under the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 which makes it an offence to arrange or perform intimate piercings on children and young people.

Wales’ chief medical officer, Dr Frank Atherton, said the law was to protect “health and well-being”.

“It’s concerning that a third of young people with intimate piercings have reported complications following a procedure,” Dr Atherton said.

“The child protection issues that could also arise from this scenario highlight even further the importance of implementing such a law.

“I hope this piece of legislation will help to reduce these issues, and that practitioners understand the importance of obtaining proof of age beforehand.”

The Welsh Government said a study in England found about a third of all people aged 16-24 who had body piercings experienced complications.

Tongue piercings caused the most problems, followed by genital and nipple piercings, it said.

“As young people continue to grow during their teenage years, an intimate piercing performed at a young age could result in further complications arising as their bodies develop,” a spokeswoman said.

“Young people may also be less likely to have the experience or knowledge of how to clean or maintain an intimate piercing, leading to an increased risk of infection.”

Many dentists and patients welcome the ban, Wales’ chief dental officer Dr Colette Bridgman said.

“Tongue piercing can lead to lasting damage to teeth and gums, and can cause serious swelling in the mouth that can affect breathing,” she added.

“Many dentists in Wales have seen patients who have permanent harm following piercing and dental teams in Wales really welcome this new law.”

Piercing artists have been told by the Welsh Government to have a “rigid system” in place to ensure they confirm proof of age and gain consent for each procedure.

(c) Sky News 2018: Wales bans intimate piercings for U18s