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AHF: California to Create New Condoms in Porn Rules

"This is the first time the public has heard of Cal/OSHA's plans to draft and introduce what AHF sees are much-needed safety amendments to California's Bloodborne Pathogens Statute in order to better protect workers and performers in the adult film industry," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "As a global HIV and STD medical care provider, we've seen it as our duty to pursue action on this issue of safety in the workplace-in these instances, unprotected sex acts taking place in albeit non-traditional workplaces-the porn sets located in the San Fernando Valley and throughout California. We heartily thank Deborah Gold for her tireless work on this issue and for speaking out publicly on Cal/OSHA's behalf last week about these proposed new safety amendments."

In addition, AHF has learned that Cal/OSHA has cited dozens of adult film production companies for, "unsafe workplace practices." Cal/OSHA also has investigations open regarding a number of other adult film production companies. Some of these citations and investigations were the result of workplace safety complaints that advocates from AHF submitted to Cal/OSHA officials over the past year-and-a-half.

In August 2009, AHF filed workplace safety complaints with Cal/OSHA against 16 California-based adult film companies (supported by nearly 60 adult DVDs), including complaints against Larry Flynt's Hustler Video. AHF subsequently submitted additional complaints specifically against Flynt's Hustler Video (September 2010, supported by 100 Hustler DVDs) as well as against Steve Hirsch's Vivid Entertainment (January 2011, supported by over 20 Vivid DVDs). Flynt and Hirsch were targeted as they have been outspoken opponents of condom use in their productions and the industry in general.

Background on AHF's Adult Film Worker Safety Efforts

Since an outbreak of as many as 20 HIV infections in the adult film industry in California several years ago-and the revelation that another adult film performer tested HIV positive last October-AHF and other AIDS advocates have spearheaded a multipronged campaign to improve worker safety by requiring condom use by adult film actors. As part of the effort, AHF has sued local Los Angeles County public health officials to enforce existing workplace safety regulations; it has lobbied for an overhaul of state workplace safety measures covering adult film sets in both California and Florida (the two largest production centers); it has filed worker safety complaints with state regulators against both adult film producers as well as adult talent agencies; it has sought legislation in Sacramento to more clearly codify adult film safety regulations.

Three outbreaks of HIV in the industry and an ongoing epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in California's adult film industry prompted AHF to take a stepped up and ongoing role in trying to improve worker safety in the adult film industry. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH), workers in the adult film industry are ten times more likely to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease than members of the population at large. LADPH documented 2,742 individual cases of chlamydia and 1,671 cases of gonorrhea among workers between the years 2004 and 2010. LADPH has observed that many workers suffer multiple infections, with some performers having four or more separate infections over the course of a year. In addition, LADPH has stated that as many as 25 industry-related cases of HIV have been reported since 2004.

The next Cal/OSHA advisory meeting-where the proposed safety amendments to Cal/OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Statute will be introduced-will be held on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Caltrans building 100 S. Main St., in Los Angeles. Cal/OSHA will circulate an agenda and other materials closer to that date. Cal/OSHA officials anticipate having a full discussion of rulemaking proposals at this meeting.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and services to more than 156,000 individuals in 26 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific region and Eastern Europe. www.aidshealth.org

AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Ged Kenslea, Communications Director
+1-323-791-5526 [mobile]
+1-323-308-1833 [work]
gedk@aidshealth.org
or
Lori Yeghiayan, Associate Director of Communications
+1-323-377-4312 [mobile]
+1-323-308-1834 [work]
lori.yeghiayan@aidshealth.org