December 28, 2010 | Health Matters

Group closer to L.A. County bareback ban

The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has stepped up its campaign to force all L.A. County adult studios -- straight and gay -- to use condoms. A full-page ad in LA Weekly takes aim at the head of the Director of Public Health for the City of Los Angeles, Dr. Jonathan Fielding, demanding that he interpret State health regulations in such a way as to force the shutdown of all non-condom porn shoots in the County. 

At the urging of AHF, L.A. City Councilor Bill Rosendahl recently introduced a motion that directed the City Attorney to  explain to Council the mechanisms necessary to enable the City’s film permit process to apply State regulations that require that barrier protection be used to prevent contact with potentially infectious materials, including blood and semen. The original regulations were designed to protect healthcare workers, not porn actors, though the State of California has indicated its willingness to expand their interpretation.

AHF is on a roll, having successfully campaigned the City and State for the closure of the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM) Clinic. AIM is funded by the adult industry and screens about 1,500 (predominantly straight) adult performers for sexually transmitted diseases per month. When a performer is found positive for an STD he or she is placed on quarantine and all contacts are tested. AIM does not demand condom use on set, but rather works with straight adult studios and performers to keep the occurrence and spread of STDs to a minimum. On the rare occassions when a performer tests positive for HIV, his or her career in porn ends.

Even if AHF succeeds in its campaign the impact is hard to estimate, seeing as the fight is in one county of one state. The gay industry is divided into two camps: most gay producers already use condoms voluntarily to protect their models from HIV. Bareback studios -- those that bother to apply for film permits -- would be affected, but nothing would stop them from simply moving their operations out of the county or if necessary out of state -- which is exactly what many straight producers would do.

Which begs the question of whether local and state health and safety laws are an appropriate way to keep STDs from spreading on the set.

"Permanent closure of porn actors clinic would be bad for the public" [Daily News]

"AIDS Healthcare: Tis the Season to be Lying"  [AVN]

"Press Release: Cal/OSHA Says Current State Health Regs Require Condoms in Porn, Says AHF"  [Businesswire.com]