The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has revealed the first-ever instances of HIV transmission because of cosmetic injections.
How did Mexico spa infect women with HIV?
In 2018, the VIP Spa in Albuquerque was first linked to HIV, when a middle-aged woman tested positive for the disease.
The CDC and Health Department investigation has determined that as many as 59 spa clients may have been exposed to HIV at the spa.
Of these, 20 received a vampire spa, while the rest received injections for services like Botox.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has revealed the first-ever instances of HIV transmission because of cosmetic injections. A CDC report on Thursday (Apr 25) noted that three women were likely infected with the deadly autoimmune disease while receiving so-called 'vampire facials' at a spa in New Mexico.
How did Mexico spa infect women with HIV?
In 2018, the VIP Spa in Albuquerque was first linked to HIV, when a middle-aged woman tested positive for the disease.
The woman, who, as per NBC News, had no history of injectable drug use, sexual contact with someone with HIV, or recent blood transfusion, reported getting a vampire facial.
This, at the time, prompted the New Mexico Department of Health to offer free HIV testing to anyone who got injections at the facility. The spa was shut down after investigators "identified practices that could potentially spread blood-borne infections."
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Now, the CDC has revealed that the spa did not have the appropriate license to operate.
During a joint investigation, the CDC, and the New Mexico Department of Health found problematic shreds of evidence of the spa skipping proper safety measures.
They found a rack of unlabelled tubes of blood on a kitchen counter, in the kitchen refrigerator, next to food and injectables like lidocaine, a local anaesthetic. Unwrapped syringes were also spotted in drawers, on counters, and in trash cans.
HIV cases reported due to the spa
Along with the woman whose HIV-positive result had led to the closure of the spa, two more middle-aged women were diagnosed with HIV in 2019 and 2023.
Another woman who got a vampire facial at the spa in 2018 also tested positive for HIV.
The CDC and Health Department investigation has determined that as many as 59 spa clients may have been exposed to HIV at the spa. Of these, 20 received a vampire spa, while the rest received injections for services like Botox.
However, as per investigators, the original source of the HIV contamination at the spa remains unknown.
Owners of the VIP Spa in 2022 had pleaded guilty to five felony counts of practising medicine without a license and were sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
What is a vampire facial?
The so-called vampire facials have recently become a rage across the globe. These cosmetic procedures supposedly plump up sagging skin and reduce the appearance of acne scars or wrinkles. However, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), there is little evidence that the procedure can do that.
The procedure involves drawing out blood, separating the plasma and then injecting it into the face using tiny needles. As per AAD, vampire facials appear to be safe as long as blood is handled properly.
(With inputs from agencies)
