LOS ANGELES–In the wake of the latest incident of HIV infection found in a performer in California’s $13 billion adult film industry, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today applauded adult film icon Jenna Jameson for her call on the industry and performers working in it to practice safer sex.
In an interview given to the website RadarOnline.com, Jameson, the highest earning single performer in the industry with approximate annual earnings of $30 million, called the industry a “ticking time bomb” noting that “the fact is that safe sex is not continually practiced in the adult film world.” She added, “I think a lot of the women feel pressure to not use condoms because they’re in fear of not getting hired by that company again. It’s very sad and disgusting.”
“Jenna Jameson can speak truth to power regarding the lack of safer sex practices in the adult film industry because she herself has become the single most powerful woman in that industry,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
“We applaud her for speaking out so forcefully about this latest HIV infection and the industry’s ongoing and blatant disregard for worker safety for adult film performers. It’s high time the adult film community follows California law regarding workplace safety. If this were any other industry and a potentially life-threatening infection was being transmitted and remained uncontained, you can be sure regulatory agencies would have stepped in by now, not leaving it up to the businesses themselves to decide if it is safe for their employees to work or not.”
Since the news regarding a performer testing positive for HIV broke on Tuesday, a voluntary industry quarantine has been in effect and at least five adult film companies have voluntarily stopped production, including some of the larger companies such as Vivid Entertainment and Hustler Video.
In a related development, Mike South, a widely followed and respected adult industry blogger (www.mikesouth.com), posted a thread today titled, “It Is Time To Clean Up This Industry.” In his post, South faulted the industry he loves and follows for:
* Poor and incomplete testing procedures; NO protocol for how to handle a positive test; NO protocol for getting performers information they need to stay safe; the industry uniformly rejects condom use and will not shoot performers who insist on condom use; and
* For years the industry held forth Sharon Mitchell [Director of the controversial AIM testing clinic] as a doctor, when the extent of her formal accredited education was a GED.