LOS ANGELES — AHF reports that Los Angeles County health officials are declining to take any action on a reported case of syphilis found in a male adult film performer—one who may have directly exposed about fifteen other adult performers—unless or until “…the case were to be confirmed.”
Over the weekend, adult film industry blogger Mike South (www.mikesouth.com), who has previously proven to be a reliable source for adult industry news, reported that a male porn performer tested positive for syphilis and that he could have directly exposed as many as 15 other performers.
As a result of this reported infection, officials from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) yesterday called on the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services to fully investigate the case (and the possible outbreak it may generate), noting that the infection and exposure of other performers could have been prevented if L.A. County health had enforced Measure B, the Los Angeles County Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act—a law that requires condom use on all adult film sets in Los Angeles County. Measure B passed last November with the support of 57% of County voters; however, the porn industry filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County seeking to block implementation of Measure B on First Amendment grounds. Five individuals connected with AHF were the primary backers of Measure B.
“Whether it is someone phonying up their test results or due to the incubation periods of syphilis or any number of other STDs, we need no more proof that testing is NOT prevention than to look at this current syphilis incident in the industry. This individual was presumably working with an infection, but not with condoms as required by law—a law which L.A. County officials have yet to enforce,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation and one of the five citizen proponents of Measure B. “Have any L.A. County health officials even visited any adult film sets or issued any citations for non-compliance with the health and safety provisions of Measure B? The County now refuses to investigate until the case is ‘confirmed.’ The County has the responsibility to monitor these workplaces. We hope it won’t be necessary to take legal action to get the County to actually enforce the law.”
Last night, the Los Angeles Daily News (8/05/13), reported that despite the fact that County officials are “…aware of media reports about a possible case of syphilis that may be connected with the Adult Film Industry,” they are declining to investigate because “…a confirmatory case report has not been received by DHSP,” according to a county statement.
“If this case were to be confirmed, DHSP will investigate it according to routine protocol, which includes interviews with sexual partners of individuals who are infected.”