Pass, but it's a) off-centre and b) further forward than a normal placement.

a small metal rod

Huh. If I were going to - which I'm not, since the minor risk of jewellery aspiration scares the crap out of me - I'd get it done with a long titanium barbell, personally. What the shit is a "small metal rod"?

They said piercings increase the risk of contracting a range of serious diseases

Name five. Then name five that apply when a reputable piercer seems more knowledgeable about blood-bourne diseases than, say, your average National Blood Service nurse. Then name five that don't apply to any other break in the skin.

can also be potentially life threatening if the tongue becomes infected, swells up and blocks the airway.

And, um, how often does that happen? Because from what I hear, tongue piercings are one of the fastest and least troublesome to heal.

It can also lead to teeth being chipped

Yes, that is actually a real risk, for people who flick their tongue piercing against their teeth. I've also heard that you can bite down on it hard enough to chip a tooth, but common sense suggests that if you're going to bite down that hard on the centre of your tongue, you'd've bitten through your tongue by now, so I'm not sure I believe that.

infection

Which is different from the infection you mentioned earlier? Sloppy writing, honey.

and pain

Well, yes. Sticking a sharp bit of metal through your tongue will hurt. So will sticking a sharp bit of metal through your earlobe, or pulling out your eyebrows by the roots, or going all day on high heels. Funny how people aren't lining up to condemn those.

"Piercing of oral sites also carries a high risk of infection with the possibility of transmission of organisms such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, Herpes Simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus and candida," he added.

What? How? Herpes is transmitted through skin contact with open sores; candida's a bastard but if you really want to prevent it then banning 'sexy' underwear and 'feminine hygiene' products would be a good start. HIV and hepatitis, as I understand it, are carried from infected internal bodily fluids to other internal bodily fluids, and don't give a damn how those fluids were exposed, although telling heterosexuals they aren't protected by the Magic Straight Bubble would probably help. And presumably glandular fever's called 'the kissing disease' and not 'the tongue bar disease' for a reason.

Also, it does not say whether the person had been cleaning her piercing regularly. GRR. There was a dumb scare about a year ago about lip piercings and I had (only a few) people asking me if I would remove mine because of it. er, no, because mine has been completely healed for 10 years bcos I bloody well took care of it!

[/rage]