Confidential · Discrimination-Free · Discreet
We accept and care for HIV-positive patients with the same dignity, sterility and clinical excellence we extend to every patient. Discrimination has no place in medicine — and your status remains private.
ISO 9001 certified · Universal precautions for every patient · Full KVKK / GDPR-aligned confidentiality
Many international patients living with HIV report being either openly refused or 'lost in follow-up' once they disclose their status to a Turkish hair transplant clinic. The reasons cited usually frame HIV as a 'staff safety' or 'sterilization' concern. Both are medically and legally inaccurate. Modern hair transplant procedures already use single-use punches, single-use needles and universal precautions for every patient — irrespective of viral status. Refusing care to a person living with HIV violates Turkish medical ethics regulations. At Grafta Clinic we apply the standard of care recommended by the ISHRS and the Turkish Ministry of Health: HIV-positive patients with controlled viral load are treated identically to any other patient — no separate room, no separate day, no extra cost, no marked file.
Three facts every reputable surgeon already knows.
Single-use punches, single-use needles, sterilized instruments, gloves changed between cases — these are mandatory standards for every patient regardless of HIV, HBV or HCV status. There is no 'extra' protocol; the standard protocol already protects everyone.
Peer-reviewed evidence consistently shows that graft survival, healing time and final density in patients with controlled HIV (CD4 above 350, undetectable viral load on stable antiretroviral therapy) are statistically identical to HIV-negative cohorts.
Turkish Patient Rights Regulation and Medical Deontology Regulation explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of disease status. Refusing a hair transplant to a patient with controlled HIV is unlawful in Turkey.
We do not need a 'special' clinical pathway. We do offer a heightened privacy pathway.
We ask for recent (within 90 days) CD4 count, viral load and confirmation of antiretroviral therapy. This is the standard pre-op review we run for every patient with chronic medical conditions — diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disease — not specific to HIV.
You are not scheduled separately or last in the day. You receive the same surgeon, the same operating theatre and the same instruments as every patient — because nothing about the procedure changes.
Your status is recorded only in your encrypted patient file accessible to your surgeon and anaesthetist. No outside-of-room marking. Reception, drivers, hotel staff and interpreters never see your medical file.
Bank transfer, credit card and cash are all available. Invoice line items can be labeled 'aesthetic procedure' rather than 'hair transplant' on request.
Photos and messages can be exchanged via your preferred messaging channel. Friend or partner correspondence kept fully separate. We never message your phone with anything that identifies your status.
Turkey applies strict patient privacy laws under Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK), which classifies health information as a 'special category' of personal data with the highest level of legal protection. Discrimination on the basis of HIV status is explicitly prohibited under the Patient Rights Regulation and the Medical Deontology Regulation. A clinic that refuses you because of HIV status is breaking the law — you have the right to file a complaint with the Ministry of Health and the KVKK Authority. We mention this not to alarm you, but so you know your rights.
01
Send your photos and recent bloodwork (CD4 count, viral load) via your preferred secure channel. Reviewed personally by the surgeon — never by an admin or sales rep.
02
Direct video call with your surgeon to discuss hairline goals, technique selection (FUE / DHI / Sapphire), and any specific concerns about discretion or recovery.
03
Hotel, transfer and interpreter — booked with no medical context. Your reservation simply says 'aesthetic procedure'. Companion welcome.
04
Same operating theatre, same surgeon, same protocol as every patient. 6-8 hour FUE / DHI / Sapphire procedure. Your file is accessible only to your surgical team.
05
Discreet follow-up at month 1, 3, 6 and 12. Free revision under guarantee criteria. The same standard of care extended to every patient.
No. Charging extra would be discrimination. Our pricing is identical to every other patient: from $2,950 all-inclusive for Sapphire FUE, from $1,950 for Essential FUE.
No. Your status is medical information and is shared only with your surgeon and anaesthetist on a need-to-know basis. The hotel sees a name and reservation; the driver sees a pickup; the interpreter sees a consultation. None of them have access to your medical file.
We follow ISHRS guidance: CD4 ≥ 350 and an undetectable viral load on stable antiretroviral therapy for at least 3 months. Patients outside these thresholds receive an individual surgeon review — outright refusal is not our default.
Yes — your surgeon and anaesthetist see your full medical file. This is mandatory for safe care. They are bound by Turkish medical confidentiality law and our internal NDA. No one else in the clinic chain has access.
Peer-reviewed evidence shows no statistically significant difference in graft survival, infection rate or healing time for HIV-positive patients on stable ART. We track this directly in our outcomes audit.
Same answer: universal precautions cover all bloodborne pathogens. We accept HBV and HCV positive patients on the same terms. Co-infections require closer pre-op review of liver function.
Bank transfer, credit card and cash are all available. Invoice line items can be labeled 'aesthetic procedure' rather than 'hair transplant' on request. We do not require travel insurance disclosure.
Yes — explicitly. Refusing care because of HIV status is unlawful under Turkish Patient Rights Regulation and Medical Deontology Regulation. Performing the procedure with proper precautions and informed consent is fully legal.
They do not need to know. You can travel alone, or with a companion who is told only the cosmetic context. We have full experience caring for patients who maintain privacy from family or partners.
Identical timeline: shedding at month 1, new growth from month 3-4, density visible by month 6, final result by month 12. HIV status does not change recovery.
Mostly outdated training and unfounded staff anxiety. The medical reality has been settled for over two decades; many clinics simply have not updated their internal policies. We made the conscious decision to follow current evidence and Turkish law.
Send a message via your preferred channel. State only what you choose to state — even just 'I have an immune condition I'd like to discuss' is enough to begin. Our intake team is trained to respect your pace of disclosure.
Send your photos when you're ready. Disclose your status only when you choose. Your hair transplant journey is yours, on your terms.
