Unsafe, Unlicensed Tattoo Jobs May Be To Blame For Rise In Borderland HIV Cases
HIV cases are on the rise in the borderland, according to the “La Fe” clinic, which is El Paso’s only HIV/AIDS care center. One possible reason for the rise? Unsafe, unlicensed tattoo artists who operate illegally throughout the city.
A representative from International AIDS Empowerment, an outreach organization based in the borderland, tells ABC-7 he has, in fact, seen a spike in HIV-positive patients who are believed to have caught the infection from a shady tattoo job.
ABC-7 spoke to the owner of Inkspot, a licensed tattoo parlor in El Paso, about the problem. Rick Soberanes said his shop has been facing some questionable competition lately. “A lot of people are doing it out of their houses, out of their garages,” he said.
Customer Connie Pintor reaffirmed the claim. Pintor, who went to Inkspot to get a butterfly tattoo two days before our interview, said she has friends who do tattoos even though they’re not licensed by the city. She says it’s become a trend among amateur artists. “(My friend) did it in someone’s friends house; he brought all the equipment. He was like, ‘Oh yeah, come over. I’ll do it for you for free,’ and I was like, ‘Mmm yeah…maybe not!'”
That was the right answer, according to Mario Hernandez, an educator with the city’s Public Health Department. “HIV transmission is a big concern,” he said. Hernandez teaches a health and safety class. Tattoo artists must attend the class every two years in order to be licensed by the city. “We tell them they have to be protecting themselves (too) because they don’t know who has HIV. Nobody does, unless you’ve been tested,” said Hernandez.
It’s not just HIV. When a tattoo needle pierces skin, the blood becomes vulnerable to infections like hepatitis and syphillis. That’s why responsible shop owners like Soberanes take pains to properly wash, wrap, sanitize and certify that all of his tattooing tools are spick-and-span.
ABC-7 asked Soberanes what would drive a customer to get a tattoo from an artist with an inadequate workspace and tools. “Prices,” he said. “They charge cheap because they’re not doing it the right way. They’re probably using the same needle on everybody for all you know.”
El Paso’s Department of Public Health encourages anyone who may have had work done by an unlicensed artist to get tested for infectious diseases. Here’s a list of testing centers in the borderland:
Aliviane No-Ad 7722 North Loop 915-782-4000
El Paso City County Health District/Tillman Health Center 5115 El Paso Drive 915-771-1200
La Fe CARE Center 1505 Mescalero 915-772-3366
