Photograph by Paul Keller
The porn industry in the US is to shut down for the third time this year over fears about HIV after another performer tested positive for the disease this week.
The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has not released the name or gender of the performer, but the adult-film trade group has pushed for another temporary suspension of filming according to the LA Times.
Diane Duke, CEO of the FSC said:
We are taking every precaution while we do research to determine if there’s been any threat to the performer pool,” Ms Duke said.
We take the health of our performers very seriously and felt that it was better to err on the side of caution while we determine whether anyone else may have been exposed.
The next steps will be to perform additional tests, determine a timeline, and identify any first generation partners.
We want to make sure all performers are protected. The performers’ health and safety is the most important thing.
Four adult performers have now tested positive for HIV this year, with the industry imposing three filming suspensions in 2014.
Los Angeles County, the home of America’s adult industry, “Measure B” was passed by voters in 2012 and requires adult actors to where condoms during sex scenes in order to combat some of the risks of HIV/Aids. However, the law is not robustly enforced, and appears to have had no effect on the spread of the disease amongst the porn community.
