LA porn industry shuns condoms despite Aids scare

LA porn industry shuns condoms despite Aids scare

Staff and agencies / The Guardian Unlimited
Friday April 23, 2004

As the recent Aids scare continues to cast a shadow over North America's adult entertainment industry, male stars are standing firm ahead of a possible showdown with health officials.

Industry leaders have imposed a two-month production moratorium pending health tests by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM) after two performers were diagnosed with HIV. Last week a man became the first LA porn star to contract the virus since 1999 and a Montreal-based woman, who had worked with him was subsequently diagnosed. AIM said the industry will be "in the clear" on June 8, Variety reports, and have countered renewed calls by health agencies like the Los Angeles county department of health and the California Occupational Safety and Health Association for wider use of condoms during shoots. The tension threatened to bubble over mid-week when AIM said an order by the health department that an Aids clinic hand over medical records of so-called first and second generation performers who had worked with the infected people was "unnecessary and irresponsible". Meanwhile porn industry workers voiced their unease over the use of condoms, which they said were not favoured by performers and might drive production underground or out of California, by far the trade's most prolific production base.

"As a performer, it's very difficult to be condom-only," said porn actor Nick Manning. "A condom is a lot to overcome."

Condoms would End Californian Porn Films, says industry.

Condoms would End Californian Porn Films, says industry.

21.04.2004 5.30 pm

LOS ANGELES - HIV infections of two porn stars has prompted local health authorities to seek unprecedented inspections of California's multibillion-dollar adult film industry and press for mandatory condom use during sex scenes.

Industry representatives, however, say such a crackdown will not lead to safer sex but could drive away many of the adult film production houses that flourish in Southern California and employ some 6000 people, including about 1200 performers.

Industry advocates also argue that much of the area's adult film business would be driven underground, likely thwarting a voluntary HIV testing programme that has worked well to stem the spread of the virus that causes Aids.

Pornographic film producers have generally resisted compulsory condom rules, arguing that a proliferation of prophylactics in their films would take the sizzle out of sex scenes, cooling consumer passion for their product and undermining their bottom line.

"It's market forces," said Mark Kulkis, president of Los Angeles-based Kick Ass Pictures, a production firm whose contract players include Mary Carey, the adult film star who ran for governor in last year's California recall election.

He drew a comparison between the appeal of stunt performances in mainstream action films and the erotica portrayed in porn.

"By putting condoms into it, you're ruining the fantasy," he said. "Nobody wants to see the wires holding up the stunt guy doing a cool stunt. And you don't want to be reminded of your own condom use when you're watching a film."

Kulkis added that he probably would move his operation out of state if California imposed a compulsory condom rule.

"There's a lot of European product without condoms, and given the choice, the consumer will pick no condoms over condom," he said.

Sharon Mitchell, who runs the HIV-screening programme for the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare (AIM) Foundation, advocates condom use by porn actors but worries that state regulations requiring it would "be a prescription for chaos."

"If there is a mandatory condom law put in place, these people will scatter and go underground and we will not be able to test them," she said. "If you want to see an influx of disease that may affect the general population, then you put a mandatory condom law into effect. ... I've very concerned about government intervention in this respect."

Last year, Los Angeles County health officials issued a report urging the development of state regulations requiring porn movie performers to use condoms when shooting sex scenes.

That initiative gained new impetus last week after two performers tested positive for HIV, prompting a virtual shutdown of porn film production under a 60-day moratorium while the industry awaits results of tests on 47 other individuals who had sexual contact with the infected actors.

County health director Dr Jonathan Fielding said he was sending a letter to the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) formally requesting inspection of the adult film industry and possible mandatory safeguards against the spread of Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases, including compulsory condom use.

He disputed assertions by AIM's Mitchell that the incidence of HIV infection among porn actors was lower than in the general population, adding "there is a significant rate of sexually transmitted diseases in that industry."

Mitchell said only a handful of the 200 or so porn film production companies around Los Angeles require their actors to wear condoms, and just 17 per cent of performers overall do so. But all are required to be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases on a monthly basis.

She said the last major outbreak of Aids in the industry occurred in 1998, when six people tested positive for HIV. There was one additional case the following year and none since then until last week, she said. The two latest cases involve an actor who is believed to have contracted the virus in Brazil and an actress with whom he had sex.

Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Susan Gard said that before her agency could enforce workplace safety and health regulations in the porn industry, it would have to determine it has jurisdiction over the matter. Industry lawyers insist that Cal/OSHA lacks authority to regulate the industry because porn actors work as independent contractors rather than as employees of producers.

- REUTERS

HIV-LINKED SHUTDOWN OF ADULT VIDEO INDUSTRY RENEWS PORN DEBATE

HIV-LINKED SHUTDOWN OF ADULT VIDEO INDUSTRY RENEWS PORN DEBATE

By David Tribal
CNSNews.com Managing Editor
April 19, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - The partial shutdown of the adult video industry following revelations that two of its stars tested positive for HIV is only one of several problems facing the industry, according to one of its loudest critics.

Morality in Media (MIM) was quick to pounce following the news that porn stars Darren James and Lara Roxx had tested positive.

"There's just such a high level of sexual activity -- I mean it's what they do for a living -- both hetero and homosexual, that it was almost inevitable," said Patrick McGrath, spokesman for MIM.

The adult video industry's largest company, Vivid Entertainment Group, reportedly requires its porn stars to wear condoms and take tests for HIV before they are able to go before the cameras. Vivid was one of several companies Friday that agreed to a 60-day moratorium on the production of videos while more testing was done.

Dozens of porn stars also reportedly submitted to voluntary quarantines because they had had sex with James or other people with whom he had had sex.

"We are in the process of containing it, we are in the process of being duly diligent, we are in the process of letting the world at large know that we are responsible," said Tim Connelly, publisher of the adult video industry magazine AVN.

People working in the adult video industry "are probably more aware and in control of things like this (HIV testing) than the average American person is," Connelly said, adding that, "We always like to say that there's probably more lawyers that have HIV than there are porn performers."

But McGrath said adult video companies also face "the matter of renewed obscenity prosecution." MIM is urging the U.S. House to pass a resolution that states, "Federal obscenity laws should be vigorously enforced throughout the United States." An identical measure has already passed in the Senate and is supported by the Bush White House.

Passage of H.Con.Res.298 "will help dispel the notions that the widespread availability of hardcore pornography is proof that this vile material has become as acceptable and mainstream as apple pie," a press release from MIM president Robert W. Peters stated.

McGrath added that, "If done right, the obscenity prosecutions ... ought to be RICO (federal racketeering) prosecutions because obscenity is a predicate crime under RICO."

Convictions could result in the government seizure of assets, McGrath said. "That we know is something that the (adult video) business fears, possibly even more than AIDS."

Connelly denied that the adult video industry is guilty of obscenity.

"If we're obscene, why is it an $11 billion a year industry?" Connelly asked. "Why is it everywhere you go?

"The fact of the matter is - sex has been here as long as we've been here. And considering nobody's getting hurt and nobody's disapproving of this other than these people (Morality in Media), they should really think about the fact that they're living in a free country."

Connelly said about 40 percent of the adult video businesses are participating in the 60-day moratorium, but he said the companies themselves would feel only a minor impact from the temporary shutdown. The adult video actors and actresses are the ones who will be hurt, according to Connelly.

"It's toughest on them because they are essentially day laborers, you know independent contractors. So it will affect them more than anybody else. But we're all trying to band together to help them get some work."


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The Day After - Industry Scrambles To Prevent Epidemic

The Day After - Industry Scrambles To Prevent Epidemic
By: Scott Ross
04-15-2004

LOS ANGELES - Yesterday, the day after veteran performer Darren James was confirmed as HIV-positive, the adult industry was attempting to ascertain how far the virus may have spread, knowing that certain knowledge that it the virus hasn?t spread won?t come until June.


No other HIV-positive results have turned up as of yet.


The number of women known to have worked with Darren James during the time he is suspected to have been working while HIV-positive stayed at twelve, where it is expected stay. The twelve women are known as the ?first-generation,? signifying their status as having had sex with James, the person who unknowingly brought the virus into the industry.


Adult Industry Medical Healthcare (AIM) foundation is currently concentrating on identifying the second-generation, people that have worked with members of the first-generation on or after the date that James had worked with them. The list continues to grow.


Brock, Dominico, Mark, Sledge Hammer, Brian Pumper, Steven St. Croix, Alex Saunders, Tony Sexton, Brian Surewood, and L.T. Turner were added to the second-generation list yesterday.


Tony Tedeschi, Jim Beem, and Jay Ashley have also been reported as belonging to the second-generation by the production company that shot the scene, but have not been added to the quarantine list by AIM yet.


Talent placed on the second-generation list on Tuesday were: Carlos Mendes, Mark Anthony, T.T. Boy, Sean Michaels, Julian St. Jox, Mark Davis, Jason Zupalo, Duane Commings, Judy Starr and Marco T.


The odds of the second-generation having caught HIV by working with one of the members of the first-generation are less than one percent, but they are under quarantine in an effort to ensure the virus is contained.


A clerical error by a production company led to male performers Trevor and Brad Baldwin were erroneously listed as a members of the second-generation. Trevor and Baldwin performed on the same set the same day that one of the women in the first-generation did, but with another partner.


The women in the first-generation, those that worked with James during the time that he is believed to have had the virus, are under a voluntary quarantine. The women are: Jocelyn, Lauren Roxx, Annie Cruz, Banesca, Persia, Miss Arroyo, Kayla Marie, Jessica Dee, Skyler Banks, Patrice Petite, Candy Ray, and Desiree Clark.


First-generation performers are quarantined for 60 days, the amount of time it could take for HIV to appear in measurable quantities, before taking another PCR-DNA and a RNA HIV test. If those tests come back negative, the first-generation performers will be declared ?clear,? and they will be able to return to performing.


The second-generation will be clear once the member of the first-generation that they performed with is clear.


Production Moratorium Suggested


There is still the possibility that members of the first-generation were infected, and that while it is unlikely that a woman would pass the virus to a man it is still possible. And that means that the virus could be still spreading within the industry, because third- and fourth-generation performers are not being quarantined; AIM simply lacks the resources to track that many performers that quickly.


For the reasons mentioned above AVN recommended a production moratorium until June 8; if no new HIV-positive cases have shown up by that date then the entire industry will be in the clear to safely return to their normal production schedule.


As we published this article Jill Kelly Productions was the only production company to have agreed to have a moratorium on production until June.


Jill Kelly, president of JKP, stated that she knew that some people were continuing to shoot despite the risks, and suggested that those that did so were ?idiots with no regard to their talent or crew.?


A handful of companies have announced that they will halt production until the extent of the second generation is known. Cherry Boxxx Pictures, Kick Ass Pictures, The Red Light District, Sin City, and VCA are among the companies that have decided to hold production until more information is available.


?I?ve stopped production, I don?t intend to shoot for another couple of weeks until we see what?s going on,? Kick Ass Pictures owner Mark Kulkis told AVN.com.


What Happened?


Few details are known as of yet, but Darren James is believed to have contracted the virus during a trip to Brazil in March. AIM?s Dr. Sharon Mitchell estimates that James contracted the virus on March 10, while having unprotected anal sex with a Brazilian woman.


As noted previously, the chances of a man catching the HIV virus from a woman are very low, less than one percent. While in Rio de Janeiro, James was bitten by a spider that sources described as ?extremely poisonous.? Mitchell admitted that the spider bite may have lowered James? immune system, allowing the virus to spread easier, but stressed that it was simply conjecture at this point.


It is not known if James engaged in high-risk behaviors such as unprotected anal sex with men or sharing needles during drug use.


James is known to have been tested almost religiously every three weeks. His last two tests were on Feb. 25 and March 17 of 2004. Both tests were negative. On April James tested approximately every three weeks without fail. He tested on Feb. 25 and again on March 17, receiving negative results both times.


Mitchell has not had a chance to interview James regarding how he may have caught the virus.


(AVN Senior Associate Editor Jared Rutter contributed to this report)

Positive HIV Tests Shut Down Porn Movies

Positive HIV Tests Shut Down Porn Movies

CNN 04-14-2004

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Adult movie producers agreed to shut down sets for weeks Thursday after two performers tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS.

At least 45 men and women were under voluntary quarantine because they had sex with the HIV-positive performers or their sex partners, said Sharon Mitchell of the nonprofit Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation.

The first performer to test positive, whom Mitchell declined to name, was "conscientious" about having HIV tests every three weeks, she said. On Friday he tested positive for HIV and a follow-up test on Monday confirmed it, Mitchell said.

Mitchell confirmed later Thursday that one of about a dozen women the performer had sex with in films also tested HIV positive.

A list of quarantined performers was placed on the Web site of the foundation, which screens about 1,200 adult movie performers a month for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

As of Thursday about a dozen adult movie companies had agreed to follow a voluntary moratorium on production until June 8, said Tim Connelly, publisher of the industry news magazine AVN.

Although the quarantine is voluntary, the performers involved won't be working for at least two months, until new tests clear them, Connelly said. It would be "absolutely insane" for companies to hire them earlier, he said.

Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health and health officer for Los Angeles County, said the agency did not consider the HIV case a threat to public health "at this point."

"I think in general, they've done an appropriate job in terms of the quarantine measures taken," he said.

However, the discovery shows that screening programs are not perfect and the only way to prevent AIDS "is not to have unprotected sex."

Mary Carey, an adult movie star who ran for governor of California last fall, said she had not worked with the HIV infected actor or his co-stars. However, as a precaution she was canceling a lesbian porn shoot even though she did not consider it risky.

"It's very scary," she said. "This is kind of a wake-up call for everybody."

It was unclear how much impact the work stoppage would have on the $4 billion to $13 billion-a-year industry, which is centered in the San Fernando Valley. Some companies have as much as a year's worth of movies ready, said Jill Kelly, a former adult performer turned producer.

Some of the largest players declined to take part in the moratorium, arguing that they already have safety measures in place. Vivid Entertainment Group of Van Nuys said it requires condom use and negative HIV tests within 30 days of the start of production.

The last industry HIV scare was in 1999, when a male performer tested positive for the disease. He no longer performs and no other performers were infected.

Before that, a male performer infected five women in 1998.