Body piercing has evolved from a behavior once considered extreme to an accepted choice among the general population. Earlobe piercing is so common that it is now considered a normative behavior. The motivations for choosing body piercing have changed and are associated with piercing site and number of piercings chosen by the individual. Meanings ascribed to body piercing were traditionally related to enhanced sexual desirability and experience, but now range from the innocuous, such as a fashion statement, to the risk laden, such as nonsuicidal self-injury. Professional piercers are the primary providers of piercing services, and people will first turn to their professional piercer for advice when complications of the site arise, thus delaying entry into needed health care. Health care providers are often perceived as uninformed, dismissive, and biased against individuals, who are pierced particularly those with multiple piercings and piercings in intimate areas of the body. Common complications of piercing include infection, bleeding, and problems relating to tissue trauma and scarring, and are reported by nearly 50% of individuals who are pierced. Metal allergies can develop as a result of piercing, making the type of jewelry used for body adornment an important consideration. Additionally, management of the piercing site becomes critical under certain conditions, such as during pregnancy and birth, lactation, or surgery. This article provides information supporting midwives and other health care providers to offer anticipatory guidance and health care services in a nonjudgmental and supportive manner to individuals choosing body piercing.

Tattooing is a type of body modification that is both ancient and modern. Tattooing is rapidly increasing in popularity and prevalence, especially among younger people. Therefore, health care providers require knowledge about this form of artistic expression, including potential health implications and psychosocial significance. Tattooing is richly laden with cultural and personal meaning, but despite the increasingly mainstream status of this art form, individuals with tattoos may experience stigma, stereotyping, and discrimination in their personal and professional lives. The legal and regulatory aspects of tattoos have lagged behind the rapid growth of this art form, causing confusion and variation in practice. Particularly concerning is the multitude of largely unregulated tattoo inks marketed for human use but untested on humans. Common and uncommon side effects and complications of this procedure include hypersensitivity, infection, and regret. More women than men are now tattooed, and tattooing is associated with important implications for women's health care, including pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Because of the frequency of regret, many individuals wish to be rid of previously acquired body art. Therefore, health care providers also need to be conversant with tattoo removal: motivations, techniques, risks, and factors influencing success. Familiarity with the many dimensions of body art will facilitate safe, compassionate health care provision and will enhance the therapeutic relationship enjoyed by clinicians and the individuals they serve.

The United States is one of a very few high‐income countries that does not guarantee every person the right to health care. Residents of the United States pay more out‐of‐pocket for increasingly worse outcomes. People of color, those who have lower incomes, and those who live in rural areas have less access to health care and are therefore at even greater risk for poor health. Universal health care, a term for various models of health care systems that provide care for every resident of a given country, will help move the United States toward higher quality, more affordable, and more equitable care. This article defines a reproductive justice and human rights foundation for universal health care, explores how health insurance has worked historically in the United States, identifies the economic reasons for implementing universal health care, and discusses international models that could be used domestically.