Childhood rituals take on many forms, such as shaking hands after spitting into each palm or joining pricked fingers to become "blood brothers." Thanks to a group of Penn Hills children, Pittsburgh parents became anxious this week over another kid's prank -- eraser tattoos.

"What's an eraser tattoo?" was the first question parents asked. It's the mark left when a pencil eraser is rubbed over an arm or other area of skin, scraping away the upper layer and leaving a red mark. The "tattoo artist" can rub initials, designs or just your basic eraser mark into the skin. The resulting scar is temporary -- usually.

Eraser tattoos seem fairly harmless but, in this age of AIDS, even childhood acts can be dangerous. One of the Penn Hills children receiving the tattoos was infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The same eraser was used to apply tattoos to all of the children, leading to parents' second question. "Did the children receive the HIV virus along with their red welts?"

Although the children will undergo testing, the risk of contracting HIV from eraser tattoos seems small, assured the Allegheny County Health Department. Health officials emphasized that HIV does not survive long when it's outside the body, such as on an eraser tip.

Hepatitis, however, is a greater concern for parents of amateur tattooists. More prevalent and communicable than HIV, hepatitis is known to be spread through tattooing practices. Bacteria can also infect the eraser tattoos, especially if Johnny doesn't sterilize before creating his artistic masterpiece.

So, if you have a budding Picasso or Hells Angel in your home, you may want to hide the pencils. And look closely at the merit badge he brings back from the next Scout meeting.

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