An adult film performer has tested HIV positive, prompting a temporary shutdown Monday of adult film productions across Los Angeles until further testing can confirm the results, an industry trade group said.
“Until we know for sure, we’ve asked the industry to have a moratorium on production,” said Diane Duke, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, a Canoga Park-based porn industry trade group.
Duke’s group became aware of the possible HIV case Saturday, according to a statement released to porn industry media. Duke would not say how her group learned about the possible HIV case.
She said she notified adult film production companies across the San Fernando Valley on Monday morning that a performer had tested positive and urged them to temporarily halt productions until further tests were completed.
Duke said company officials she spoke with — including those at well-known studios, such as Hustler and Evil Angel — agreed to the temporary shutdown.
Duke said she could not release the performer’s name, age or gender. Further testing will likely be completed within a week, she added.
Her group will notify performers who had sex with the potentially infected person so they can get tested.
“Retesting and confirmation is underway as is the process of identifying and testing first- and second- generation partners,” she said, referring to those who had sex with the person who tested HIV positive or with one of that person’s sex partners.
It was not clear how Duke’s group was doing that. She noted in a statement released Monday that the performer tested positive at an out-of-state facility “that does not appear to have protocols or procedures in place for medical follow-up (including generational testing).”
Los Angeles County health officials and state health regulators, who have been involved with such testing in the past, were not notified of the test because it was performed out of state, Duke said.
A Los Angeles County public health spokeswoman did not return calls or emails early Monday.
Last month, Duke’s group launched a new testing database for porn performers, the Adult Performer Health and Safety Services, designed to provide producers and agents with access to results from numerous testing centers.
Duke said it will be at least another month before testing is complete and the database is fully functional.
Via LAtimes.com
