Sad times in the porn industry.

I read this morning that attendance at Erotica LA, which is happening this weekend, is down significantly. Not surprising, given the current breaking news stories on the HIV infections among porn performers.

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Los Angeles County officials released public health data this afternoon indicating that 16 previously unpublicized cases of HIV had been confirmed in adult film industry performers since 2004 when an outbreak shut down porn production for a month.

The 2004 cases -- involving a male porn star, three actresses he had worked with and an unrelated case in a transsexual performer -- drew intense scrutiny to safety practices in the industry.

The newly released data brings the number of known HIV cases in adult film performers to 22 since 2004, including a porn actress who tested positive late last week.

Between 1998 and 2003, 14 confirmed HIV cases were reported among adult film performers, according to the health department.

The previously unpublicized cases will probably shock adult industry workers, who repeatedly have described the new case as the first since 2004. It was not immediately clear whether any of the previously unpublicized HIV infections involved workplace transmission of the virus.

Officials from the San Fernando Valley-based Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation released more details this afternoon about the most recent case. The actress tested for HIV on June 4 and the first positive result was returned Saturday, according to a statement from AIM founder Sharon Mitchell on her clinic’s website. The woman had last tested negative for HIV on April 29, Mitchell said.

Three others with connections to the woman have so far tested negative for HIV, according to the statement, including two men described as "industry partners."

A man who worked with the woman on Friday, the day before she received her positive HIV test results, tested negative Tuesday, according to Mitchell. He is scheduled to be tested again June 19.

Another man tested "not detected" for HIV on Monday, the statement said. He had tested HIV negative on May 13, Mitchell said. The man is scheduled to test again on June 22. In addition, the girlfriend of one of the men last tested negative on May 19, according to the statement.

“Rumor is rampant when the words HIV and porn are in the same sentence; the media is like a moth to a flame,” Mitchell said. “We are finding that many clients, patients and companies are tempted to discuss this delicate matter with the world for whatever personal or professional gain. Fact is, that we are still awaiting final confirmation on the patient Zero, who was given a positive result on Saturday 6/6/09.”

She also dismissed rumors in the industry that AIM workers had given the woman a negative result in error allowing her to work and expose others.

“This too, is not possible, as there was no result available either positive or negative until 6/6/09,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell told AVN, an adult industry website, on Wednesday that the clinic had recently changed its policies on disclosure of new cases. "What we do is just handle everything privately unless there's a widespread problem," she said.

[Updated at 8 p.m.: Dr. Colin Hamblin, AIM's medical director, provided a different timeline of events later today. Hamblin said the porn actress first tested HIV positive on June 4 and worked the following day for reasons he said were still being investigated. A second positive result came back Saturday. And the clinic is awaiting results of a third and final confirmatory test, he said.

Hamblin described the woman as having had two recent sexual partners, a fellow porn actor who worked with her on June 5 and her boyfriend, who is not in the porn industry. Those men have had sexual intercourse with an additional six people, who have all been notified and offered testing, he said.]

Unprotected anal is like a scene from the Deerhunter.

My guess is attendance is down due to the economy. No reported cases of anyone catching HIV from buying photos or autographs as far as I know.

Many of those 36 are gay males performing in gay adult videos.

From a 2004 article in the LA Times... (Note the first line in the second paragraph!)

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Starting in the late 1980s, widespread AIDS deaths among actors and outcries by healthcare advocates prompted gay-porn companies to voluntarily adopt safe sex as an industry standard. Since then, condom use has been the norm in gay adult films.

Roughly half of the actors in gay pornographic films are HIV positive, health officials estimate, but that reflects the population the actors are drawn from, not the practices on the films, according to producers and AIDS activists.

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Suprisingly, it seems that since Gay Porn is almost 100% condom-only, that part of the industry doesn't require AIM testing.  If it did, I would assume that the number of "reported" cases among adult performers would be much higer, but comprising a majority of gay males who's lifestyles, rather than their participation in the adult industry, were the primary cause of their infection.

Whenever you read "statistics" reported by a government agency, keep in mind that they all have agendas that go beyond public information (funding, status, etc.), and for that reason their figures should be taken with a grain of salt.

I seriously doubt that the lower attendance has ANYTHING to do with some MILF in the industry contracting HIV.  I'd bet if it was discovered tomorrow that Jesse Jane or Stormy Daniels were HIV positive, there would STILL be a large number of guys who'd still fuck them with a condom.

The low attendance is simply a matter of the economy.  This past AVN convention had not only the lowest attendance in five years, but the lowest number of exhibitors as well.

I dont think the economy has anything to do with poor attendance.  Its cheap to get tickets for the convention.
And The Laker tickets on Tuesday are going from $500.00 in the cheap seats to $55,000 on the floor. And I guarantee every seat will be filled there...
The reason its not packed is its June. Kids just got out of school and familys are on vaction or they got Laker tickets. haha!!
Plus were having a very cold weather system right now.  And that keeps people in doors or wanting to leave the city.

The weather and June is not the problem. Every year Erotica LA is held in June. And It may have been overcast all day yesterday, it was nice day to go downtown.

The first two years after they moved the convention from I think the Paladium to the Convention Center, those shows were packed. Those shows were packed with video sales, condoms booths, sex toys, and plenty of friendly porn stars.

Last year was horrible.  If was the first year there were very few video sales booths and few talent. I still remember seeing Jenna Haze and her friends sitting behind a chain link fence at the Wicked booth.  That just gave me the wrong impression, like i am cool and you are not.  That show was horrible and many had agreed with me.

I went last night. Still, not as many video booths, there was a good showing of the starlets. On the shows new format, it was good. But it still does not compare to the older shows when Keisha, Nina Hartley, Christy Canyon and the rest were there.  

What the real reason no one is going?  Porn is not capturing the public like it used to. Instead of a few contract starlets, now it is any girl that gets off the bus stop in Van Nuys.  It is just too hard to follow one lady in porn anymore. They do a few scenes and that is it.
I noticed the market is more extreme sex, which is not my interest. Eddie has been mentioning about his like of European porn. Well, I have been watching it more and I am starting to enjoy it more. It reminds me of the porn I grew up watching.  It focuses on intimacy and showmanship.  

Just my opinions

i think it has alot to do with the HIV outbreak.  many people are realizing the "real" risk here and are staying away from the industry/hobby as a result of the positive tests.

and by the way, i'm not sure if i agree with you that if a big name PSE tested positive people would still fuck them with a condom

I don't think there is any correlation between lower attendance at E-LA and this news.  The story just broke, but tickets have been on sale for quite some time, and I bet sales were slow (for various reasons, mostly economic).  Besides, while avoiding the hobby makes sense, you're not going to get HIV taking a polaroid with a girl.

Comparing a chance to go to the NBA Finals to attending a porn convention? are you serious? You can not compare the magnitude of the events. And those in the 55,000 seats - like Denzel and Jack, that's pocket change for them

First of all, it's not an outbreak.  ONE pornstar has tested positive... ONE.  The 2004 outbreak shut the industry down for two months, and it didn't affect the hobby in the least.  I don't recall ANYONE on this board announce that because of that HIV outbreak that they were retiring from the hobby.

As for not agreeing about guys who'd fuck a big name PSE with HIV, search back on this board and you'll find that there have been many posts about wide-spread STDs like gonorreah, clamydia, hepititis and herpes (which is incurable)running rampant throughout the adult industry, and still every month or so you'll see a post inquiring about PSEs who offer bare back full service.  And often those ISO's mention that the guy is willing to provide a current STD screening for the girl, but rarely talks about asking to see one from the PSE.

I've had many guys email or PM me and tell me about being with this PSE or that PSE where they got caught up in the moment and she unexpectedly mounted him uncovered without asking to see or offering to show a test.  The interesting thing is, in all of those emails/PMs, NONE of them refused the BBFS.

Most of us guys have a tendency at times to think with the little head instead of the big one. I'd be willing to bet that if Sasha Grey or Tegan Preseley or Brianna Banks or another A-list pornstar, especially one who had never escorted before, were known to be HIV positive but announced that they were available for covered full service, guys would be lining up, condoms in hand.  

But, as Dennis Miller says; that's just my opioion, I could be wrong.

-- Modified on 6/13/2009 6:40:11 PM

"I've had many guys email or PM me and tell me about being with this PSE or that PSE where they got caught up in the moment and she unexpectedly mounted him uncovered without asking to see or offering to show a test."

Do some PSE's ask clients for test results? I'm new to the hobby and to TER and I'm wondering if I should get AIM-tested.

Getting caught up in the moment, not knowing, not caring to know, not caring, needing to pay bills, "everyone else does it"... or just plain crazy. These are reasons people do all sorts of things.

Who's safer? Someone who gets tested once a month or someone who got tested once 3 years ago and has had only one boyfriend? The relative answer is the former, but the absolute answer is: I don't know for sure unless I isolate someone for 3 months then get them tested.

The name(s) of the alleged infected stars will come out because they always do nowadays.

Everyone has a line they won't cross. Under pressure (or excitement) that line can change. I wonder how many guys who post here are actually keeping themselves safe.

off topic: congrats to Pittsburgh (and a reluctant congrats to LA for their impending championship).

it is interesting that you brought up the issue about the provider accidentally mounting someone uncovered, because it happened to me!  
i would like to have your expertise.  for me, it happened with a well know PSE and the condom slipped, so there was a timeframe of about 30 seconds of BBFS.  i never intend to do this because of the risk; but i could not tell her to stop; how do you react to a situation like this/ or how have you reacted?

I was just saying the economy couldnt be that bad if they are paying that type of money for those seats. The seats I sit in are going for 5,000 a piece...  

GO LAKERS!!!

{The name(s) of the alleged infected stars will come out because they always do nowadays. }



I wouldn't be too sure about that.  After all, if 16 cases have been generally unreported since 2004, that shows AIM to have a rather remarkably tight lip.  Which, by the way, is a good thing.  Medical information is confidential because if it isn't, people aren't willing to tell their doctors the truth, which would be far worse for public health than not releasing someone's name.

{i never intend to do this because of the risk; but i could not tell her to stop; how do you react to a situation like this/ or how have you reacted?}


Well, it has only ever happened to me with a girlfriend, but I said, "oh shit, the condom slipped," pulled out, put on another, and got back to it.

And I was 17 at the time.  If a 17 year old has the will power, why can't you?  Yes, I know it is difficult, but you can do it, if you WANT to.

And Kobe Bryant sucks!