April 22, 2011 | The Biz

CDC doctor slams porn industry over HIV

A physician for the Center for Disease Control (CDC),  Dr. Francisco Meza, has taken the adult film industry to task for not sharing information on performers who may have come into contact with HIV. 

"Limited cooperation from many adult film industry companies restricted this contact investigation. Rarely did industry legal counsel give information for [this] investigation," the report said.

The report found that two male porn actors were HIV-positive when they had sex (using condoms) with Derrick Burts, whose HIV diagnosis in October brought several straight companies' work to a standstill. Burts performed in both gay films (as Dereck Chambers) and straight (as Cameron Reid.)

Examining the case was nearly impossible for the CDC as no one was willing to share information. Normally when an outbreak occurs or is feared, health officials are able to quickly identify anyone potentially exposed to illness. Officials can then determine where the disease may have originated and take actions to prevent it from spreading. 

However, in this case, Meza alleged that adult film companies offered little help. The use of stage names also made it difficult to track down individuals who may have been exposed. 

Meza concluded that production companies should be more willing to give health officials the real names of any actors at risk, adding that federal law demands full names are kept on file to ensure actors are not minors.  He also stated that condoms should be used during all sexual acts.

Film director Miles Long took issue with the report, saying that the current voluntary system, administered by the Adult Industry Medical Foundation, "has not only proven effective, but also is protected from any outside prying eyes by federal law, which mandates stiff penalties for anyone who discloses patient information for any reason to unauthorized persons."

Report faults porn firms for not providing information to public health agencies [LA Times]

Porn studios blasted for not cooperating with county health officials [XBiz]