Pregnant women who want genital piercings should wait until after delivery. So many changes happen to a woman's body during pregnancy. Stretching skin may make it hard for a new piercing to close and heal properly. The skin near the genitalia is likely to stretch and tear during labor and delivery, even if the woman does not have piercings.
If you already have a genital piercing and it has healed completely, it probably won't cause problems during pregnancy and delivery. You may want to replace metal jewelry with plastic jewelry during the last months of your pregnancy and delivery. Many women report that plastic is more flexible and comfortable. Talk to your health care provider for information about plastic jewelry.
The biggest concern with any piercing is the risk of infection. A new piercing can become infected easily if it isn't cared for properly. Signs of infection include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Warmth
- Pain
- Pus leaking from the piercing
If you notice any of these signs, talk to your health care provider right away.
Dirty needles can spread serious infections, like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection. HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease that prevents your body from fighting off other infections. Both hepatitis and HIV can be passed along through bodily fluids. This means that you can get infected from a dirty needle, and you can pass that infection along to your baby.
Be sure the piercer follows all safety guidelines:
- The piercing studio should have a machine, called an autoclave, to sterilize its piercing instruments.
- The studio should be clean.
- The piercer should wear gloves.
- Bandages, needles and jewelry should all be sterile, new, and unopened.
Tell your piercer that you're pregnant. Be sure you will be able to contact him or her if you have any problems after getting the piercing.
January 2007
