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Ear piercing became commonly available in physician offices. Some of the earliest commercial, non-medical locations for getting an ear piercing appeared in the 1970s at Manhattan jewelry stores, although the overall commercial market was still in its infancy. By the 1980s, ear piercing was common among many women, thus creating a broader market for the procedure. Department stores throughout the country would hold ear piercing events, sponsored by earring manufacturers. At these events, a nurse or other trained person would perform the procedure, either pushing a sharpened and sterilized starter earring through the earlobe by hand, or using an ear-piercing instrument modified from the design used by physicians.
Sexual orientation
In various Western cultures, piercing the left vs. the right ear has sometimes been popularly perceived to be associated with a particular sexual orientation. In the 80s it was said that "left is right, and right is wrong," alluding to social prejudices surrounding sexual orientation. The left ear was reserved for piercing by straight men and a pierced right ear signified that one was gay. It is similarly held that among homosexual men, an earring in the left ear signifies a dominant partner or "top" and the right a submissive one or "bottom".