A recent study finds that people with tattoos were almost three times more likely to have hepatitis C as those without tattoos. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that, "Whenever tattoos or body piercings are performed in informal settings or with non-sterile instruments, transmission of hepatitis C and other infectious diseases is possible." On the other hand, according to Wikipedia, it is rare for tattoos in an approved facility to be directly associated with Hepatitis C infection.