Health risks of piercing while pregnant

The Association for Professional Piercers states on their website: “It is...advisable to refrain from piercing during pregnancy to allow the body to focus on the important, complex, and demanding task that it is handling already.”

The two most serious risks are bacterial infection and infection with a transmittable disease. Bacterial infections occur frequently with piercings, especially in the mouth and genitals. These bacterial infections must be treated because a woman's health and pregnancy is at risk with such infections that can lead to loss of life for mother and unborn child.

Piercings, pregnancy and transmittable diseases

Transmittable diseases may occur less common because instruments used in piercings have to be disinfected according to health and safety regulations; however, if receiving a piercing in a different country or not by a professionally recognised piercer, the risks of disease infection are far higher. Unclean needles and instruments have resulted in cases of infection with hepatitis B or C and also HIV and AIDS. Men who opt to have ampallang or palang piercings without proper surgical care and testing for STDs increase the risks of infecting their pregnant partner, and carrying foetus, substantially.

Piercing in pregnancy also carries other risks that include:

  • blood loss (especially in tongue piercings)
  • inflamed skin
  • keloid scarring
  • inflammation of the heart valves (endocarditis)
  • fractured teeth (particular to oral piercings)
  • speech impediments (particular to oral piercings)
  • painful urination and sex (related to genital piercings)

Although these risks affect anyone with a piercing, they are heightened in a pregnant woman because of the physical changes occurring in her body as a result of the developing foetus.

Sleeping during Pregnancy:



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