A 22 year old woman was recently diagnosed with HIV and the most baffling part of the discovery was that the woman had none of the usual risk factors for the virus like indulgence in unprotected sex. This does lead you to wonder then what her crime was which turns out to be something as minor as sharing manicure equipment.
Some years ago this young lady had shared manicure equipment with her cousin who was later found to be HIV positive. The diagnosis revealed that the 22 year old woman had contracted the virus ten years ago which has now developed into an advanced case of the disease. The genetic analysis of the viruses of both the females revealed that the virus came from a common ancestor leading to the conclusion that the virus had in fact been transmitted through the instruments used for the manicure.
While the phenomenon is similar to contracting HIV through sharing needles with infected people, the case published in a medical journal suggests that this is a new and rare form of transmission for the virus. While it won't be practical to consider giving up manicures altogether but the steps you can take to ensure good health would be to visit a salon with no tool sharing policy or carry your own tools the next time you get a manicure done.
