LOS ANGELES---At its annual meeting this week, the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to support a public health effort by AIDS advocates including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) that would require actors to use condoms during the production of adult films.
During the meeting, which was held in Chicago, the AMA’s House of Delegates voted "to support legislation to require porn actors to use condoms on-screen."
“to support legislation to require porn actors to use condoms on-screen.”
“This vote by Delegates of the American Medical Association adds the weight of the largest and one of the most respected organizations of physicians in the US to ongoing efforts by AHF and other AIDS advocates to protect the health and safety of adult film workers,” said Michael Weinstein [pictured], President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
“We thank the AMA for this endorsement of ongoing efforts to improve worker safety on adult film sets, and will make certain that the advisory committee called by Cal/OSHA that convenes next week to determine whether—and how—to amend California state health statutes to better protect such film workers is aware of the AMA’s bold action this week.”
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 June—AHF and other AIDS advocates including advocates from the Pink Cross Foundation 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.
On March 18th, in response to a petition seeking to amend California state health regulations to better protect workers in the adult film industry that was filed in December by AHF, California’s Department Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) voted unanimously to recommend that an advisory panel be convened to determine whether—and how—to amend state health statutes to better protect such film workers. That advisory panel meets for the first time Tuesday, June 29th.
