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The New Mexico Department of Health is reaching out to former clients of an Albuquerque, New Mexico spa. According to the organization’s report, cosmetic procedures at the VIP Beauty Salon and Spa have been linked to HIV infections.
On July 5, the DOH published a report for anyone who received “any type of injection-related service” at the spa. It urged them to go for “free and confidential HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C lab testing and counseling.”
Persons potentially affected are those who received a “vampire facial or Botox injections.”
According to PEOPLE, a vampire facial utilizes a client’s blood reinserted into their face to “refresh” the skin’s appearance.
The organization urges that former clients be “retested” for the infections “even if they previously had a negative test.”
Additionally, the DOH secretary deputy, Dr. Laura Parajon, shared a statement.
“It’s very important that we spread the word and remind people who received any kind of injection-related to services provided at the VIP Spa to come in for free and confidential testing.”
Click here for a list of free walk-in testing events.
According to the report, the DOH Infectious Disease Bureau was notified of a diagnosed case of HIV. Furthermore, the former client explained that their only “self-reported HIV risk exposure” was a vampire facial they received at the VIP Spa in 2018.
This prompted the DOH to reopen an investigation into the claims. As of July 5, the organization has discovered “additional HIV infections with direct or indirect connection” to VIP Spa services.
The New Mexico Department Of Health also reports that VIP Spa was closed on September 7, 2018. Additionally, this closure was prompted after various licensing and regulation entities “identified practices” that “could potentially spread blood-borne infections.”
Furthermore, the spa’s former owner pled guilty to “five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license” last year.
