Appropriate age group(s):
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Description of technique:
Body piercing, it's all the rage. Teenagers are piercing their eyebrows, noses, lips, tongues, belly buttons and yes, even their genitals. I suppose there might be worse things to fight about. But it's certainly not something I want any of my children doing and here's why.
Most teenage fads fade over the course of time and don't leave any permanent damage. But body piercing can be quite different. Your teenager's health may be on the line when they pierce themselves or one another or rely on unlicensed operators who have little knowledge regarding sterilization techniques or the risks incurred when holes are stabbed through various body parts. When sterilization techniques are not used bacteria and viruses can be introduced into the bloodstream, including the hepatitis B virus that can cause chronic hepatitis and liver cancer and the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Unfortunately, most parents encounter body piercing after the damage is already done. And some kids end up suffering severe pain, a long recovery, infection and unsightly scars.
How can you even hope to help discourage your child from even considering it? Sit down with your child and discuss it early on, before they reach their teens. Use news events and people on TV to help launch discussions. Use the Web to find articles that tout the facts on body piercing gone wrong. Ask your child if they still think it will be cool in a few years when they are applying for their first job or going to interviews for college. Help them to consider both the pros and the cons and to make an informed decision by exposing them to as much information as possible.