Last week, city lawmakers in Los Angeles, California voted unanimously to draft a law requiring the mandatory use of condoms on pornographic film sets. This proposed change in regulation followed the sudden closing of the Adult Industry Medical clinic, a nonprofit clinic primarily responsible for the health of adult film makers since 1998. The clinic closed after a performer tested positive for HIV.
This is not the first time the city’s porn industry has faced criticism for faulty healthcare practices. Until the late 1990s, the industry was completely unregulated. But after a string of actresses contracted HIV and filed suit against the major production companies, producers agreed not to hire performers who had not been tested for HIV in the last 30 days. Despite this effort, the Adult Industry Medical clinic has failed on numerous occasions to protect industry workers and their sexual partners.
Previous efforts to pass legislation requiring condom use have been unsuccessful (despite the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases). County health officials say they lack the resources to enforce such a requirement, and although state health regulators have considered a condom mandate in the past, they have yet to draft any laws.
If the Los Angeles law passes, it would tie the issuing of film permits to on-set condom use. The filmmakers who oppose this new regulation say that movie sales drop when performers use condoms. Some filmmakers have even made mention of moving their piece of the $13 billion a year industry to other states.
Can health care advocates overpower the threat of financial loss? Will the Los Angeles porn industry finally put the health and lives of its workers first? Can’t safe sex be SEXY too? The staff here at Red Hot will be following this story closely, but one thing’s for sure, we think that everyone—even actors—should PLAY SAFE!
Read More: New York Times “Condom Rule Sought for Sex-Film Sets”
Condoms should be required EVERYWHERE! The act of putting one one should be written into the porn scripts in all kinds of sexy ways haha.
I think it’s frightening that the Adult Industry Medical clinic has closed, as it made a necessary resource more easily available. Let’s hope its springs back up!
Safe sex can absolutely be sexy at the same time! Beautifully researched and written – awesome way to reach more people. Hopefully the adult film industry will begin to see that “Hot Sex is Safe Sex”…
[...] might have heard about the law that was passed in L.A. last winter that requires adult film actors to wear condoms on all sets that hold city permits. The law caused quite a stir, with many in the industry [...]
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