The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US say there isn't enough evidence on tattooing spreading HepC. My opinion: the virus isn't even believed to spread sexually, so if it can't live in those fluids, how could it survive in ink? (So maybe the ink's made of something closer to blood than other body fluids.) Oh well - I suppose we'll hear something in a few years, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.

I've repeatedly thought about a tattoo, but never got one. I worry that I'd want to change it after a while. I'm definitely not the type to get big tattoos, but I enjoy looking at them on other people.

I have my ears peirced in the conventional way. I'm allergic to most of my earings - even the hypo-allergenic ones. Although I've thought about getting more holes in my ears, what's the point if I can't wear what I want in them? Forget the other body parts!