Working hazards in the average person’s job may consist of smashing a toe, stapling a finger, slipping on some spilled liquid, or even falling on some ice. In the quickly growing porn industry the work hazards are far more severe in the form of diseases.
In the state with the largest amount of porn studios, California, the A.I.D.S. Foundation of L.A. has been fighting for law makers to force the porn business to use condoms in their productions.
Last August the advocacy group filed 16 complaints with state officials against porn companies citing them for violating workplace safety laws. They are fighting for rights so that the spread of the disease HIV will stop in the industry.
Since 2004 there have been a confirmed 22 cases of porn stars becoming infected with the deadly virus. To put it in perspective, in one case the performer and her husband had admitted to sleeping with at least 6 people each unprotected within the month of positive test. In all of the cases of infection it is easy to see how ones infectivity could trickle down into many people’s lives.
L.A. was responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace, according to the foundation. They filed suit against the county because of the constant STD infection of porn stars.
Michelle Avanti, a former porn star made a statement as a member of the Pink Cross Foundation revealing, “As I continued to do hardcore porn, I started catching STDs all the time." She continued to disclose information saying, “"My lower body hurt so badly and at times my private area felt like it was a blazing fire. I could no longer work because I caught so many STDs and infections. I believe that if condoms had been allowed to be used in my own films, I would not have suffered so many physical ailments and infections."
The Pink Cross Foundation is a civic aid organization devoted to offering adult workers in the porn industry emotional, financial and transitional support for those who want out of the adult industry.
A former porn star, interviewed by this writer, exposed the reason why it has not been as backed by current stars as former stars, “Some of these stars don’t want the forced condom use because plain and simply, they get paid more if they don’t use them. It’s about the money.”
The AIDS Foundation did a survey of 58 films made by the biggest companies that operate in California. Of the 58 films, which included films by Vivid Entertainment, and Hustler, two of the most prominent film makers in the industry, only two scenes used condoms.
The porn industry argues that regulations within the industry have done a wonderful job of containing all cases and maintain a strict testing policy of once a month testing. "If Los Angeles County chooses to enforce mandatory condoms, what you'll see is all adult production leave California. It will move to other places," said Steve Hirsch founder of Vivid Entertainment.
Despite these claims by the industry itself, another former star, Shelly Lubben disputes these claims. She says consumers need to become aware of what they are contributing to, "They're demanding harder and grosser porn. We want to educate them to exactly what they're watching -- diseased people ... It's illegal for bodily fluids to touch skin, and yet it happens every single day in the porn industry." She founded the Pink Cross Foundation because she contracted Herpes and HPV while in the porn industry.
Lubben Continues saying, "In my time in the industry, I did some very hardcore movies, and only drugs and alcohol could get me through them. I played a crazy game of Russian roulette with my life.”
According to the L.A. County department of health between 2003 and 2007 there were 965 cases of Gonorrhea, 2013 cases of Chlamydia reported by stars in the industry.
Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation talks about the epidemic, “This is not just about one industry, but about our entire community, as the spread of disease among adult film performers endangers themselves as well as their sexual partners in and outside the industry."
The simple fact is porn will continue to exist because of the demand. Have people in this industry become blinded by the money and lifestyle so much that they have put themselves in serious health risk situation? Should legislators step in and force the industry to adapt to the current landscape?
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