3 women diagnosed with HIV after ‘vampire facials’ at unlicensed U.S. spa
At least three women contracted HIV after receiving a trendy skincare treatment in New Mexico, according to a detailed report of the outbreak investigation.
In a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agency shared details of how several people were likely infected with HIV after being given “vampire facials” at the now-shuttered VIP Spa in Albuquerque.
The first case of HIV linked to the salon was discovered in 2018, prompting the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) to offer free testing to clients of the facility. The middle-aged woman had no history of recent blood transfusions, injectable drug use or sexual contact with an HIV-positive individual, but she did report receiving a vampire facial.
The other reports came from women who had also had vampire facials in 2018. One was diagnosed with early-stage HIV in 2019, and the other last year when she wound up in hospital with severe symptoms.
