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Adolescent Medicine
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Body Piercing by Teens on the Rise, Health Risks Ignored
Body piercing, once considered a fringe activity that was associated with risk-taking behavior, is now on the rise among teenagers and considered mainstream, according to researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. However, many teens who are getting piercings don’t contemplate the health risks, which can include infection, bleeding or permanent scarring, especially if the piercing isn’t done by a professional.
In a study of 225 patients treated at Children’s Hospital’s Adolescent Medicine clinic, nearly half (48 percent) reported having a body piercing and almost all (93 percent) considered body piercing to be accepted by the general public. The most common sites for body piercings were ears (74 percent), nose (34 percent), tongue (30 percent), navel (27 percent) and eyebrow (15 percent). Fewer than 7 percent had pierced genitalia, lips or nipples. Patients in the study ranged in age from 12–21.
Results of the study were published in the April 2005 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, the official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.
Depression Study
Researchers at Children’s took part in a national study that developed a treatment program for adolescent depression that has been effective in reducing depression and improving quality of life in teens and young adults. Pamela Murray, MD, one of the study authors, helped develop and evaluate an adolescent depression treatment program that establishes collaboration between primary care providers and mental health professionals to evaluate and treat the patient in the primary care setting.
