Medical Alert Tattoos in Patients With Diabetes
Medical Alert Tattoos in Patients With Diabetes
Tattooing has increased in popularity over the past 2 decades. The motivations that drive individuals to acquire tattoos are plentiful, including embellishment, self-identity, and social affiliation. Tattoos are also used for medical purposes, including corneal tattooing, scar camouflage, or radiotherapy.
The use of tattoos for the purpose of medical identification for conditions requiring special attention during emergency situations (e.g., diabetes) has recently emerged. Referred to as "medical alert tattoos" (MATs), this new phenomenon is underestimated and underreported, but appears quite popular, as evidenced by a simple internet search of the term "medical tattoos," for example. The profile of such individuals and their motivations has not been addressed in the medical literature. We therefore interviewed individuals with diabetes MATs in order to gain a better understanding of their motivations and to evaluate the potential effects of such tattoos on the bearers and their close social environment.
Introduction
Tattooing has increased in popularity over the past 2 decades. The motivations that drive individuals to acquire tattoos are plentiful, including embellishment, self-identity, and social affiliation. Tattoos are also used for medical purposes, including corneal tattooing, scar camouflage, or radiotherapy.
The use of tattoos for the purpose of medical identification for conditions requiring special attention during emergency situations (e.g., diabetes) has recently emerged. Referred to as "medical alert tattoos" (MATs), this new phenomenon is underestimated and underreported, but appears quite popular, as evidenced by a simple internet search of the term "medical tattoos," for example. The profile of such individuals and their motivations has not been addressed in the medical literature. We therefore interviewed individuals with diabetes MATs in order to gain a better understanding of their motivations and to evaluate the potential effects of such tattoos on the bearers and their close social environment.
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