California to begin probe after porn actress contracts HIV
MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — State health officials are looking into the latest HIV case reported in California’s multibillion-dollar porn industry, fearing that reckless practices on film sets might be raising the risk of new infections.
It was revealed this week that a woman tested positive for HIV immediately after making an adult film. The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health is attempting to identify the filmmaker, at which point a formal investigation would begin.
“Our concern is that we need to quickly get to the employer so that we can work with them to change their practices to ensure the proper safety measures are being taken to prevent the additional spread of HIV,” agency spokesman Dean Fryer said.
The performer’s positive result was reported by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation. Known in the industry as AIM, the organization tests hundreds of actors each month in the San Fernando Valley, where the U.S. porn industry is headquartered. It grants those who pass certificates allowing them to work.
Although the woman’s co-stars have tested negative, they have been quarantined from acting for the time being and advised to be retested in two weeks because medical experts say it takes almost that long for a person to show signs of infection.
Los Angeles County health officials say there have been 22 confirmed HIV cases in industry performers since 2004.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
