California State officials have taken judicial action againsttwo pornography companies, Evasive Angles and TTB Productions, forallegedly allowing actors to perform unprotected sex.
The two adult film companies will be finedmore than $30,000 each for allowing four actors to perform unsafesex on the set, which resulted in the transmission of HIV, thevirus that leads to AIDS.
The companies received citations for violatingthe state’s blood borne pathogen standard: a standard thatrequires employers to protect workers exposed to blood or bodilyfluids on the job, failing to notify authorities about actors whocontracted HIV on the job, and failing to have a written injuryprevention program.
Associated Press reported, “Any bodilyfluid is considered infectious, that means barrier equipment mustbe used,” said Susan Guard spokeswoman for Cal-OSHA,”Any employer whose workers are exposed to any potentiallyinfectious material, such as semen and vaginal fluids, must followstated regulations covering workplaces.”
Sharon Mitchell,a former adult-film actress and co-founder of the Adult IndustryMedical Healthcare Foundation, said, “Honey, this is pornography.Clearly, they’re not going to go for the complete barrierprotection.”
Mitchell said she recently struck a deal with16 production companies where they had to insist that performerswho choose not to use condoms be tested for sexually transmitteddiseases every two weeks. But, across-the-board, use of condoms wasnot on the table.
The Adult Industry Medical Health CareFoundation reported that only 17 percent of actors use condoms on aregular basis due to the belief among many producers that the usageof condoms in their films will decrease profits because customersdo not want to see safe sex.
“In any sexualinteraction where condoms are used, consumers tend to drift fromthat,” said Graham Travis, head of production at Elegant AngelVideo, a production company that turns out as many as eight newreleases a month. “What the consumers want to see is performerswithout condoms, something that’s as real and intimate aspossible.”
However, as seen in this case and many others,HIV and AIDS can be contracted by anyone. The estimated number ofdiagnoses of AIDS through 2002 in the United States was886,575and the
HIV and AIDS is a very serious and deadlydisease but the Porn Industry feels that they can not afford toloose any business due to the unwanted scenes of safe sex.
“People these days really go for the shockvalue, for the high-risk stuff, and that’s harder to do with acondom,” said actress Nautica Thorn. She continued that the idea ofmale performers wearing condoms was “great” butimpractical.
Though the HIVscare prompted producers to halt filming for a few weeks, theindustry, which employs more than 6,000 actors and actresses insouthern California
