Some of these groups wear only brand-name clothes. Young people often belong to a certain group of friends. It is not only gangs that have this type of special 'uniform'. For example, in one gang all the members may wear green army jackets and have large 'Xs' tattooed on their arms. Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. The desire to be part of a group, to be accepted by one's friends or peers, can have a great influence on what a person does. Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today. Getting a tattoo because your friends and peers have them is just one of the reasons why a lot of young people in North America get tattoos. His friend Tony had recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by Tony's bravery and his tattoo that he decided to get one too. Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg. But if there were a shortage, “I’d take the risk.Your browser does not support the audio element, so here's a link to the mp3: “I guess if there’s a surplus of blood, better safe than sorry,” he said. Sean McNally, a new Western Hills graduate, said the tattoo parlor he patronized during spring break this year in Destin, Fla., was “almost hospital-like.”Ī regular blood donor, McNally said he knew the tattoo on his back-a Chinese symbol meaning “to seek"-would disqualify him for a year. 4 reason for deferrals for the last two years, trailing anemia, blood pressure and use of antibiotics, according to figures supplied by Berry. Tattoos and body piercings are lumped in a category with acupuncture and electrolysis. Many of those turned away are first-time donors who do not know the rules, “particularly on the high school scene, because that’s the first time in their life they can donate,” Berry said. Many turn away on the spot.Īt Lexington-based Central Kentucky Blood Center, deferrals are highest in the March-April and September-October periods, traditional times for blood drives on campuses, spokeswoman Marsha Berry said. “Losing 273 doesn’t sound like much, except these people could have donated three times” in six months, Brosky said, adding that the actual loss probably is higher.įor blood drives at Louisville-area schools, the Red Cross routinely posts a sign at the door about the deferral rule for people with tattoos. It collected 65,000 pints in the first six months of the year. The Red Cross needs 500 pints of blood per day. A fifth of those deferred were 17, the minimum age for blood donors, or 18, the legal age for a tattoo or piercing without parental or guardian consent. Of that total, 185 prospective donors were under age 30, she said. The loss of potential donors because of tattoos has been palpable if not drastic, blood-center officials said.Īt the Red Cross in Louisville, 6% of deferrals this year through June-273 people in all-were due to tattoos, piercings and accidental needle sticks, spokeswoman Lisa Brosky said. “That’s just to make sure that if any infection developed, it wouldn’t pose any potential threat to the U.S. Anyone who gets a tattoo or has a piercing of a body part other than the ear cannot donate blood for 12 months. “Everything has a ripple effect on the blood supply,” said Melissa McMillan, spokeswoman for America’s Blood Centers, an umbrella organization based in Washington, D.C.īlood centers adhere to Food and Drug Administration rules.
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