Delaware News

Public Health Closes Unpermitted Home Tattoo Operation in Wilmington

Delaware Health and Social Services | Division of Public Health | News | Date Posted: Friday, January 19, 2018


Division of Public Health logo

DOVER – On Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) ordered a Wilmington woman to cease tattooing activities in her home, in violation of Title 16 of the Delaware Code. DPH Health Systems Protection staff issued a Cease and Desist Order to Erica Johnson of 515 E. Eighth St. in Wilmington for conducting tattooing activities out of her residence without a required body art establishment permit.

The unregulated tattoo parlor kept no client records and, as a result, DPH cannot follow the normal protocol of contacting individuals by letter to ask them to seek medical testing. DPH is informing the public through press release and social media.

DPH encourages customers who may have received tattooing or other body art services at this location to contact their health care provider for evaluation for diseases such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may have been transmitted through the equipment. Tell the doctor about receiving a tattoo or piercing from an unregulated establishment, when it occurred, and any symptoms since the visit.

Delawareans served by the illegal operation can also contact the DPH Communicable Disease Bureau at 302-744-1050 if they have questions about potential transmission risks.

When in doubt, DPH recommends seeking testing for HIV and hepatitis. It is possible to carry these viruses for years without knowing it due to lack of symptoms, and, even if the virus cannot be traced to the closed tattoo parlor, knowing one’s HIV and hepatitis status can help get treatment and prevent further spread of these viruses. To learn more about free testing options in your area, visit http://www.freehivtest.net/ and enter your ZIP code.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.

Public Health Closes Unpermitted Home Tattoo Operation in Wilmington

Delaware Health and Social Services | Division of Public Health | News | Date Posted: Friday, January 19, 2018


Division of Public Health logo

DOVER – On Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) ordered a Wilmington woman to cease tattooing activities in her home, in violation of Title 16 of the Delaware Code. DPH Health Systems Protection staff issued a Cease and Desist Order to Erica Johnson of 515 E. Eighth St. in Wilmington for conducting tattooing activities out of her residence without a required body art establishment permit.

The unregulated tattoo parlor kept no client records and, as a result, DPH cannot follow the normal protocol of contacting individuals by letter to ask them to seek medical testing. DPH is informing the public through press release and social media.

DPH encourages customers who may have received tattooing or other body art services at this location to contact their health care provider for evaluation for diseases such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may have been transmitted through the equipment. Tell the doctor about receiving a tattoo or piercing from an unregulated establishment, when it occurred, and any symptoms since the visit.

Delawareans served by the illegal operation can also contact the DPH Communicable Disease Bureau at 302-744-1050 if they have questions about potential transmission risks.

When in doubt, DPH recommends seeking testing for HIV and hepatitis. It is possible to carry these viruses for years without knowing it due to lack of symptoms, and, even if the virus cannot be traced to the closed tattoo parlor, knowing one’s HIV and hepatitis status can help get treatment and prevent further spread of these viruses. To learn more about free testing options in your area, visit http://www.freehivtest.net/ and enter your ZIP code.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.