This electron microscopy image released by the National Institutes of Health shows human T cells in blue and yellow as they are being attacked by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fisher, Austin Usman/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fisher, Austin Usman/AP
This electron microscopy image released by the National Institutes of Health shows human T cells in blue and yellow as they are attacked by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fisher, Austin Usman/AP
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Three women diagnosed with HIV after receiving “vampire facials” at unlicensed medical spas in New Mexico are now on record as having contracted the virus from the needle-based cosmetic procedure. Federal health officials said this is the first case in which the virus has been reported.
of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in last week’s Morbidity and Mortality Report that an investigation of the clinic from 2018 to 2023 showed the clinic appeared to be reusing disposable equipment intended for one-time use. He said it was made clear.
While HIV transmission from contaminated blood through unsterile injections is a well-known risk, the report said this is the first documented case of possible transmission associated with beauty services.
Many popular beauty treatments, such as Botox to treat wrinkles and fillers to plump the lips, are performed with needles. A “vampire facial,” or platelet-rich plasma microneedling procedure, involves drawing the client’s own blood, separating its components, and using small needles to inject the plasma into the face to rejuvenate the skin. Tattoos also require needles.
The New Mexico Department of Health began investigating the spa in summer 2018 after being notified that a woman in her 40s had tested positive for HIV despite having no known risk factors. In the spring of that year, a woman reported being exposed to needles during a procedure at a doctor’s office.
The spa was shut down in fall 2018 after an investigation was launched, and its owner was charged with practicing medicine without a license.
The report said the study showed how important it is to require infection prevention measures for businesses offering cosmetic procedures that use needles.
It also said poor record-keeping delayed the investigation and said companies providing such services need to keep better records in case they need to contact customers later. Ta.
