A shamrock on the ankle or an anchor on the bicep might seem like a harmless personal expression to some, but tattoos also pose a serious health concern, according to Dr. Robert Fischer, who lectured to a small group of pre-med students in the Dedman Life Sciences Building on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Fischer, an internist and principal owner of the Dallas Internal Medicine Group, said that infection from needles and other tattoo instruments accounts for 41 percent of hepatitis C infections.

He became interested in the study after finding several cases of hepatitis C in a span of a few months while working in an orthopedic clinic that treated patients with back pain.

“My hair stood on end when I found that third case,” he said. “I knew this wasn’t random.”

He teamed up with Dr. Robert Haley, the chief of epidemiology at University of Texas. Together, they began a study to identify the various causes of hepatitis C.

One of the potential causes they were considering were tattoos.

“I had noticed there were a lot of tattoos in my back pain clinic,” he said.

Fischer and Haley studied 629 patients, conducting interviews and having the patients fill out questionnaires about their lifestyles, habits and medical histories.

They narrowed down potential factors to intravenous drug use, tattoos, heavy drinking, working in health care, blood transfusions and having 10 or more sexual partners in one year.

After ruling out several of the factors because of a lack of direct causality, Fischer and Haley arrived at the conclusion that getting tattoos put people at a higher risk for hepatitis C.

Fischer then said that receiving a tattoo from a tattoo parlor doesn’t reduce the risk. “You would think at a tattoo parlor it would be safest,” he said. “That’s the exact opposite. No one is checking the tattoo parlors.”

Fischer said that some tattoo artists test the needles on themselves first to make sure they work. In addition, some tattoo artists may not clean the tattoo gun, and microscopic drops of blood from other customers may collect in the barrel when the needle goes up and down.

Fischer and Haley faced some opposition to their findings when they were first revealed. “It’s gradually being accepted,” Fischer said.

Christine Buchanan, the faculty advisor of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the pre-med honors society that held the lecture, said she admired the initiative that Fischer took to do the study. “It’s kind of unusual that a person in private practice would follow through on that kind of observation,” she said. “It’s impressive.”

Fischer also took initiative to fund his education. He decided to join the Air Force after he realized he couldn’t afford medical school on his own.

“I was married, I had no money and my family would not and could not support me,” he said.

Fischer got his master’s degree in organic chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology and did his medical residency at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before completing three years of service at the Tinker Air Force Base Hospital in Oklahoma City.

However, he said students should not use the military to finance their education unless they have no other option.

“I wouldn’t do it if you could avoid it,” he said. “You might end up dead.”