October 25, 2010 -

The final scheduled Cal/OSHA Advisory meeting on blood-borne pathogens in the adult film industry took place on October 25 in Oakland. Cal/OSHA has repeatedly stated the fact that condoms are already mandated by existing law which states that blood or other potentially infectious material cannot come into contact with skin without barrier protection. Cal/OSHA has been holding these open advisory meetings to get input from the industry and other stakeholders (which includes not only those in the industry, but those who help those who leave the adult industry, public health officials, and others who are effected by the porn industry) as to how they might improve the existing law to improve the health and safety of those in porn.

The epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) that currently exists within the industry has alarmed Cal/OSHA (and anyone else who looks at the statistics) and brought us to this point.

In September, 2009, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 2,396 cases of Chlamydia, 1,389 cases of gonorrhea, and five syphilis cases among porn performers. It was also reported that Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence in porn performers is ten times higher than that of Los Angeles County 20-24 year olds and five times higher than that of one of Los Angeles County’s highest risk populations. Just this month, another porn performer was tested and found to be HIV positive which adds to the previous 25 cases of HIV that were reported by Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM) since 2004.

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) who represents the adult film industry presented their proposal at the meeting. Their proposal calls for testing instead of the mandatory use of condoms which is the current law. A question was raised about how a worker could get any better health than they already do if the FSC proposal was adopted. Diane Duke of FSC replied, "These are current industry standards and they work." She went on to say, "The performers are happy in the situation. They like what they're doing."

Are they happy about risking their lives just to get paid? Are they happy about the numerous STDs they will get during their time in porn - some of which are incurable, cause cancer, and lead to an early death?

When asked about how she could justify the current industry standards, Diane Duke replied, "I'm telling you the standards work."

But these meetings were being held because the industry's self regulation standards do not work as proven by the extremely high rates of disease transmission in the industry.

Diane Duke believes and stated that the "level of disease transmission in our industry is small."

That's not true. That just isn't the reality for porn performers. Talk to the women who have had their cervix removed because of the HPV STD which causes cancer. Talk to the women who have had so many STDs that their reproductive organs are damaged and they will not be able to bear children. Talk to the 25 (and counting) people AIM tested who have been found to be HIV positive since 2004.

No other workplace has this kind of track record of disease, danger, and death! Yet, many porn performers get into the industry believing that the industry will "keep them safe". The AIM testing merely gives performers a false sense of security which is horribly shaken when they find out they are the ones who got burned!