TATT'S A RESULT!

Some time ago we were made aware of two cases in Greater Manchester where tattoos were refused to people living with HIV. 

Whilst we acknowledge that there will be many tattooists who would not, and do not, discriminate against people living with HIV, the two instances of which we were made aware were very concerning.

Consequently, we have been advocating over the last twelve months with each of the ten Greater Manchester Local Authorities to ensure that there are no repeats of the discrimination reported to us.

Steph Mallas, George House Trust CEO said:

"We are delighted that, as a result of our persistent and determined lobbying, every licensed tattooist in Greater Manchester has now received a letter from their relevant Local Authority advising them that to refuse to tattoo someone solely on the basis that the person is living with HIV would be in breach of the Equality Act 2010".

Living with HIV is not a reason to refuse to tattoo someone. 

If you are living with HIV and request a tattoo, you may be asked about your general health by the tattooist – this is standard practise and allows you and the tattooist to make a decision together about whether to proceed.

However, you should not be refused a tattoo based solely on the fact that you are living with HIV. 

If you experience HIV discrimination from a tattooist please let us know. 

We’re grateful for the support of the Local Authorities across Greater Manchester who agreed to contact their licensed tattooists -   a fantastic result achieved through working together to challenge HIV stigma and discrimination