Piercing

"There were 454 completed questionnaires (218 men, 236 women), about 15% of the total undergraduate population. Their average age was 21 years.

Body piercing

This was present in 42% of men and 60% of women undergraduates, with 315 piercings in 229 students, with a maximum of five piercings. In men 31% had pierced ears, with tongue, eyebrow, nipple, genitals and navel in 2% or fewer for each. Additionally 7% had had ear piercings removed, and tongue, nipple and navel piercings had been removed in 2% or fewer. In women 29% had pierced navels, 27% had pierced ears (excluding pierced earlobes), 12% pierced tongue, and 5% pierced nipple, with genitals, nose or lip in 2% or fewer. Additionally 4% had had tongue piercings removed, 3% had navel piercings removed, and ear, eyebrow, nose, lip, nipple and genital piercings had been removed in 2% or fewer. Complications were reported in 17% of piercings, the most common being bacterial infections, bleeding and local trauma (Figure 1). No cases of viral infection were reported. Tongue piercing was associated with subsequent oral or dental injury in 10%." http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band109/b109-2.html