August 2, 2011 | The Biz

AHF petitions higher court to force condom use

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is taking its fight - to force porn production companies in Los Angeles to use condoms - to the California Supreme Court. Two lower courts have already decided that city health officials had the right to determine, at their own discretion, how best to handle any cases of STDs they investigate.

AHF, unsatisfied with the findings, is now asking the state's Supreme Court to force Los Angeles County’s health officers to declare condom use, along with the use of dental dams and gloves, mandatory in all adult productions. The organization feels this is the only way to keep performers and the general public safe from the outbreak of STDs.

“From April 2004 to March 2008, there were ‘2,847 STD infections diagnosed among 1,884 performers’ in the hardcore pornography industry in Los Angeles County,” AHF claimed in the petition’s statement of facts, adding, “DPH acknowledges that there have been multiple outbreaks of HIV within the hardcore pornography industry since 1995.”

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) does not agree that these numbers are accurate, nor does it support the aim of AHF's blanket condom enforcement policy. FSC has consistently argued for the voluntary use of protection, along with routine and rigorous testing to ensure that performers are healthy.

“Courts have twice said that L.A. County cannot be required to regulate adult productions,” Free Speech Coalition’s Executive Director Diane Duke pointed out. “Data shows that our performers' rates of STI’s are much lower than those of similar populations; FSC commissioned a report that was entered into record with Cal/OSHA disputing AHF's claims about STI rates. AHF continues to waste valuable resources supporting their self-aggrandizing efforts.”

AHF seems more interested in playing Perry Mason than using its resources, time and money to actually reach out to, and work with, the industry it claims to care about. What's that all about?

AHF Petitions Calif. Supremes to Review Mandamus Loss [AVN]

AHF Asks Calif. Supreme Court to Review Condom Ruling [Xbiz]