After giving this a lot of thought. I have composed this:
Tattoos and piercings have become a mainstream way of expressing oneself. With this comes great risk of disease, infection, and bad work.
Most states regulate the industry with strict standards, stringent health department inspections. The more respectable the shop, the cleaner it will be.
There are things that the shop I work at do at our own expense to insure that our clientele is safe. We have our autoclave tested monthly to make sure it is doing it's job. Our artists use single use needles and tubes. Once they are opened for the customer, they are disposed of in sharps containers and picked up by medical waste handling companies.
I truly believe that having a subforum would help inform people what to look for when seeking body art of any kind. What to look for, signs that your artist does quality work. In this industry, you get what you pay for. It can also let people get ideas for artwork.
Hopefully this helps.