Positive steps for the porn industry
Imagine walking into a room, meeting a person for the first time, introducing yourself and asking how they are. After these short few moments together, how would you feel if you were expected to take off all of your clothes and create a steamy scene with this complete stranger? For adult film actors, this brief introduction leading directly to intimacy is the norm.
While the adult film industry is notorious for the moral dilemma it presents, the latest concern lies not in the morality of the act but rather the safety.
The danger of unprotected sex is no secret and sexually transmitted diseases are not a new phenomenon in the porn industry.
While all studios don't require testing, many call for the actors to be free from HIV and STDs. Actors also usually need documentation from the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation. However regular the testing, this method has proved to not be completely reliable.
This past October, an unidentified male actor, labeled "patient zero," made headlines after testing positive for HIV. This discovery has halted many productions and has stirred up controversy over the safety measures at the companies.
Larger corporations such as Vivid Entertainment and Hustler Video closed down productions so they might be able to test anyone who potentially came into unprotected contact with "patient zero." No performers have yet tested positive, but the situation is still under investigation due to the 90-day seroconvert of the disease.
Between January 2003 and March 2005, approximately 1,000 performers had one or more STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea. And L.A. county officials have counted more than 3,600 cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea among performers since 2004.
Religion and moral values aside, pornography is sliding down a slippery slope of health hazards. Production companies do not enforce condom use for fear of losing ratings and profit.
Former adult film actor for Helix Studios, who wishes to remain anonymous stated,
"I felt safe most of the time and you had a choice in everything you wanted to do."
The actor stated, "I did it for the money. The testing procedures are kind of different with every studio. You would only get tested if you were doing a bareback video and with other studios you get tested either way."
Los Angeles County public health officials and state occupational health officials blame the widespread lack of condom use on porn sets for putting performers at risk for contracting HIV and other diseases.
Twenty-two other performers have tested positive from 2004 through last year. State officials are considering altering and enforcing stronger rules concerning condom use, but it cannot be determined how the effects will change.
With the immense power and money within the porn industry, it is highly debated whether their steps toward STD prevention are adequate.