Concerns Mount as HIV Cases Increase in Relation to "Vampire Facial" Clinic
The popular trend of "vampire facials," which involves drawing a client's blood and reinjecting it into their face, has come under scrutiny due to potential health risks. In 2018, an amateur practitioner in New Mexico was linked to HIV transmission, and now another client from the same spa, which has since closed, has tested positive for HIV.
The health department is urging former clients who received injection-related services, including vampire facials and Botox injections, at the VIP Spa to undergo testing for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Although more than 100 former clients were previously tested during the initial investigation in 2018 and 2019, health officials advise retesting for former VIP clients, even if their initial results were negative.
Dr. Laura Parajon, the deputy secretary for the health department, stressed the importance of spreading the word and encouraging individuals who received any injection-related services at the VIP Spa to undergo free and confidential testing.
The health department has reported additional cases of HIV infections directly or indirectly connected to services provided at the VIP Spa. However, specific details regarding the number of positive HIV cases and the definition of an indirect connection have not been disclosed. CBS News has reached out to the health department for further clarification.
Meanwhile, the spa owner, Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz, also known as Luly Ruiz, is currently in jail after being convicted on five counts of practicing medicine without a license.