CDC says first documented case of HIV transmitted through cosmetic needles has been identified

 Federal health officials say three women who were diagnosed with HIV after undergoing "vampire facial" procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are similar to people who contracted the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles. Believed to be the first documented case.

File - US This electron microscope image provided by the National Institutes of Health shows in blue a human T cell under attack by HIV, in yellow, the virus that causes AIDS. Three women who were diagnosed with HIV after undergoing "vampire facial" procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are the first believed to have contracted the disease through a cosmetic procedure using needles, according to federal health officials. Was infected with the virus. (Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fisher, Austin Athman/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH via AP, File)

Albuquerque, NM (AP) - Three women have been diagnosed with HIV after undergoing "vampire facial" procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa that is believed to be similar to people who contracted the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles. This is the first documented case, federal health officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its morbidity and mortality report last week that an investigation of the clinic from 2018 to 2023 showed it clearly reused disposable equipment intended for one-time use. .

Although HIV transmission from contaminated blood through unsterile injections is a well-known risk, the report said this is the first documented case of possible infections associated with cosmetic services.

Many popular cosmetic treatments are delivered with needles, such as Botox to smooth out wrinkles and fillers to plump the lips. A "vampire facial" or platelet-rich plasma microneedling procedure involves removing the client's own blood, separating its components, then using tiny needles to inject the plasma into the face to rejuvenate the skin. Tattooing also requires needles.

The New Mexico Health Department began investigating the spa in the summer of 2018 after it was reported that a woman in her 40s had tested positive for HIV, even though she had no known risk factors. The woman reported being exposed to needles through a procedure at the clinic that spring.