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Three women contract HIV from dirty “vampire facials” at unlicensed spa (arstechnica.com)

submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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Trendy, unproven "vampire facials" performed at an unlicensed spa in New Mexico left at least three women with HIV infections. This marks the first time that cosmetic procedures have been associated with an HIV outbreak, according to a detailed report of the outbreak investigation published today.

Ars reported on the cluster last year when state health officials announced they were still identifying cases linked to the spa despite it being shut down in September 2018. But today's investigation report offers more insight into the unprecedented outbreak, which linked five people with HIV infections to the spa and spurred investigators to contact and test nearly 200 other spa clients. The report appears in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The investigation began when a woman between the ages of 40 and 50 turned up positive on a rapid HIV test taken while she was traveling abroad in the summer of 2018. She had a stage 1 acute infection. It was a result that was as dumbfounding as it was likely distressing. The woman had no clear risk factors for acquiring the infection: no injection drug use, no blood transfusions, and her current and only recent sexual partner tested negative. But, she did report getting a vampire facial in the spring of 2018 at a spa in Albuquerque called VIP Spa.

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[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 183 points 6 months ago

"Vampire facial" is the common name for a platelet-rich plasma microneedling procedure. In this treatment, a patient's blood is drawn, spun down to separate out plasma from blood cells, and the platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the face with microneedles. It's claimed—with little evidence—that it can rejuvenate and improve the look of skin, and got notable promotions from celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian.

Not surprising that an idiotic procedure is pushed by morons.

[-] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 40 points 6 months ago

It's ridiculous, but the true issue is the hygiene of that place where they had that done to them.

[-] crusty@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 6 months ago

Promoted by plastic and the creator of exploding vagina candles

[-] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 10 points 6 months ago

I doubt Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian went to a place with hygiene issues. it’s unfortunate that they push these procedures without communicating the risks

[-] WamGams@lemmy.ca 7 points 6 months ago

Gwyneth's HIV positive status has absolutely nothing to do with her natural living business, and any insinuation otherwise will promptly be met with a cease and desist.

[-] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 3 points 6 months ago

Is she HIV positive?

[-] WamGams@lemmy.ca 7 points 6 months ago

Any disclosing of her HIV positive status will be harshly met with a cease and desist.

[-] hperrin@lemmy.world 38 points 6 months ago

This is exactly why we need strong consumer protections:

Consumers are incredibly stupid.
Providers are equally stupid.

[-] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 6 months ago

There was? It was an illegal shop doing it that was promptly shut down when discovered. The problem wasn't the procedure. It was that it was being done completely unsanitary, without proper equipment, and with little record keeping.

[-] hperrin@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago

I’m saying this is exactly why we need it. I didn’t mean we don’t have it. There are people trying to take away these protections, saying things like, “the market will handle consumer safety.”

[-] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 6 months ago

I haven't seen any of these people. Where are the people saying the market will handle consumer safety?

[-] hperrin@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Conservatives in the USA push against consumer safety measures. These are just a couple from the first page results for “republicans consumer safety” on DDG:

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/13/house-passes-bill-block-gas-stove-ban-00100492

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/29/republicans-consumer-product-safety-commission/

If you directly ask them why we shouldn’t have strong consumer safety regulations, they say it’s because it stifles innovation and that the market will correct for unsafe products and services.

[-] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 6 months ago

Does that mean we can get back the hotdog cooker from the 1970's that electrocuted the weenies?

[-] UFODivebomb@programming.dev 4 points 6 months ago

Yes but a few people will profit less. We should prioritize their feelings.

[-] Norgur@fedia.io 24 points 6 months ago

What even is a fucking Vampire facial? (I mean,.I can imagine a few things, but the places you can get those aren't usually called a 'spa')

[-] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 23 points 6 months ago

Take your blood, spin out the plasma, inject the plasma into your face

Apparently this place thought that washing the needles between use was superfluous

[-] scytale@lemm.ee 25 points 6 months ago

Not even washing. They shouldn't be reused in the first place.

[-] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 months ago

You right, I totally forgot that reusing needles is a massive nono in the first place lmao

[-] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 months ago

Let Boy Boy explain it for you!

[-] AnAnonymous@lemm.ee 11 points 6 months ago

Human stupidity never stop amazing me..

[-] Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net 1 points 6 months ago

https://feddit.uk/c/andfinally

[-] CommunityLinkFixer@lemmings.world 6 points 6 months ago

Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !andfinally@feddit.uk

[-] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works -1 points 6 months ago

Aleksa truly risked it all for us! 🙏

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeMJ_o3ME6U

this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2024

243 points (98.0% liked)

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