I know this has been addressed, to varying degrees a number of times before. However, today I experienced first hand just how bad the medical profession can be when it comes to steralisation.
At A Glance Author Cerra Contact [email protected] IAM Cerra When N/A
A little bit of background. My interest in body modification was, shall we day, piqued, when I was eleven. I had met a girl at school, she would later become the second person I could call friend, and she asked me what I knew about piercings. I told her that I didn't know much. At this point all I had seen were a few people with nose rings. After inquiring as to why, she told me she wanted a lip piercing "You know, Cerra, the one that's in your chin?". She and I decided that we would pierce our lips one night while she stayed at my house. We did the piercings as planned, in a certainly less than brilliant way, and I became really interested in who was offering a service that would pierce more than lobes or nostrils.
I found a couple of local studios, found out that there were age requirements and set to work on a way around them. I managed to find a way to fool the piercing artist and so my tongue was pierced. I don't remember much about the experience, except that he seemed to change his gloves an awful lot and that everything smelled like a 'hospital'. But wait. Did hospitals really smell like that? Did hospitals really smell of disinfectant? No, they didn't, they didn't really smell of anything. Not outside of the emergency room, not to me, anyway, when I finally started thinking about it.
Years went by, I would like to think I've learned a lot since I was eleven. Out of ten professional modification experiences, I've been to eight different studios in two different countries. Some of them weren't great - in my eyes, and then some of them couldn't have been better - in my eyes. I remember times when I had to wait while the area I was going to be in was prepped. I remember times when jewelry or needles were dropped and replaced with fresh supplies. I remember one experience where the phone wouldn't stop ringing, and the artist washed their hands and changed their gloves ten times, just to be sure everything was still clean.
Today, I went to have blood drawn. Today I went into a hospital full of fear. My fear was first of needles and but now it is fear for my health. I realise that may sound like an exaggeration, but let me assure you it is not. I met with the doctor who would draw my blood. Upon meeting me her hands were ungloved, I was sat in the chair and she told me she would be right back, as she had to wash their hands. (Un?)lucky for me, I was able to see the sink. I watched as taps were turned, no foot pedals to be seen. I watched next as the taps were turned off. Instead of using paper towel (or even her elbows), she just used her bare hands. I then watched as gloves were taken out of a box. She put them on her hands, seemingly satiated that she was clean enough.
The doctor came back over to me then and said I looked a bit pale. I don't doubt that I was pale, I have a fear of needles that even I don't understand. Despite my best efforts, I still find it very hard to relax when I know I'm about to be stuck with a needle. Be it in the interest of my physical health or my mental health. The doctor went to get me a glass of water. She didn't remove her gloves, yet she touched the dirty taps with her gloved hands. I drank the water and blood was drawn, and the doctor was still on the same pair of gloves. I waited for her to ask me to watch as she disposed of the needle she used, I waited for her to reassure me that my needle wouldn't be used on anyone else.
I'll have to admit that I was too worried about the needle entering my skin to even being to worry about my safety. I'll have to admit that I am more worried now, than I ever was after any modification, about contacting a blood borne virus. I'm not sure why I didn't say something early today. I guess I'm like most people. We seem to somehow believe the degree a doctor hangs on the wall stating that they are a professional in their field is magically going to make them one. We put our trust in these people who appear to blatantly ignore thoughts of cross-contamination.
In Canada we've already had numerous problems with our blood services. I will admit, that it's unlikely I'll end up ill, I will admit that I'm putting myself at risk when I have modifications done as well. But I can say, undoubtedly, that I feel a lot safer in the hands of the artists I go to than I did today while having my blood tested. I almost feel a bit of shame to think that when I gave blood today, it was to be tested for Hepatitis B+C but ended up writing a piece for BME about improper steralisation methods at my local hospital. Maybe it's not, as so many doctors will say, the piercing and tattoo artists that we have to worry about, but the doctors and nurses we never question.