Porn's New HIV Crisis

[NYCe]

This story has gathered a amazing amount of Mainstream Media Attention, I'm not sure if it applies to Transsexual Porn (but at the rate this story is growing it probably will)

"The porn industry was shaken again yesterday by reports that male talent Darren James tested positive for HIV. (Adult Video News says that James is the first veteran performer to be diagnosed with HIV since Tony Montana in 1999; it's a testament to the industry's self-policing that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often, especially given the lack of condom use in most hetero porn.) "

Several companies have stopped filming for 60 days (including Red Light District, Hustler and VCA)

Here's a current list of performers being Quarantined
http://69.42.76.142/Quarantine.html

[AllanahStarrNYC]

It is so sad this has happened, but I always thought it was ridiculous that condoms were hardly used in St8 porn.
They used no condoms because the DNA HIV test. However,
No test is 100 percent reliable, and honestly who can monitor anyones sexual behaviour on their own time. Pergormers had to test once a month. ANYTHING can happen in one month. This I hope will be a wake up call for the st8 porn industry to start using condoms to further ensure their safety during filming during vaginal and anal intercourse. Test or no test, I always do condom only scenes and will always demand so.

I think if these performers are truly concerned about their health they need to start using condoms. Although condoms are not 100 safe, what is safer-using condoms or showing a negative test that is up to 30 days old?

[Vicki Richter]

There have been hundreds of thousands of scenes shot in the straight porn industry. Statistically, this would be like saying after a plane crash, "I hope people wake up and never get on a plane again". To further this statement, statistically, per capita, there are more cases of HIV in the non-adult entertainment world.

I'm not condoning unsafe sex... but... the testing has actually done it's job for a very long time. HIV is a scarey bad thing. Yes. However, if people are still afraid to have condomless sex after a PCR-DNA, nobody should be having sex or procreating period.

Again, I would encourage everyone to actually read about the PCR-DNA testing done at AIM.

http://69.42.76.142/faq.html

Again, not flaming anyone elses point of view, just giving my perspective.

[AllanahStarrNYC]

Yes those are great point too.

I just feel to cut the risk, I personally use condoms for work and recreationally to further avoid problems. I have sexual contact with alot of people and I think it is best that way personally.

I believe using tests and condoms will further reduce any risks involved.

[d]

I know a couple of the people in the straight porn industry, and I spoke to Sinnamon Love who knows the guy who got HIV, and here's what she emailed me:

It's true, this is not the first time someone has gotten the bug, but it's the first time a Black Man has gotten it - and the fact that he's passed it on to a White girl, (French Canadian 18 year old to be exact,) is one of the only reasons IMHO it's gotten so much press. Last month, a white male aspiring porn stud tested positive prior to even being able to do a single scene. There was a Black Female performer named Tori Coco Flame that contracted the disease from outside of the business several years ago, but she was such an infrequent performer that the industry was unscathed by her infection. Prior to that in 1999 Latin Porn Veteran Tony Montana contracted the disease from outside the business - no one contracted the disease from him. The year before, 1998, white male vet Marc Wallice contracted HIV prior to the current centralized testing procedure we have now. He falsified his test for a period of time and intentionally infected roughly 8 ladies. Luckily it didn't spread beyond that...

At present, there are approximately 45 performers on a voluntary industry quarantine list. Only 2 performers have tested positive for HIV. We are waiting for the results of the next round of performers.

I'd like to clarify how our industry tests first. Yes, it is mandatory that we test every 30 days for HIV, Gonerrhea & Chlamydia. New talent must also test for Syphilis and be screened for Hepititis before being eligible for work. Most people are still stuck in the 80s generation of HIV testing and are under the impression that there is still a 3-6 month window of error for a false negative. That simply isn't true anymore. The test we use is called the PCR-DNA. The difference is this and the standard test one might get in their doctors office is that most test only tests for antibodies produced after the body has developed the virus. This may take 3-6 months or longer. The PCR-DNA test looks for the actual virus itself in the DNA of the infected.

What people don't understand is that when you contract HIV the virus attaches itself to the DNA strand within 3 days. Depending on the body's immune system it may take a long time to develop antibodies or lower t-cell counts. This is the cause for most false negative results. By using the PCR-DNA tests we have the opportunity to catch & "quaratine" the infected party & any potential partners - basically operating on a containment basis to prevent the potential spread.

The Adult Industry Healthcare Foundation, http://www.aim-med.org provides centralized testing for the business and is handling the quarantine fairly well. It has worked with Darren to produce a list of his partners, then contacted each of them for immediate retesting and compiled a list of their partners as well. The CDC is rather impressed with the efforts the industry has made. By compiling what we all "generation" lists of partners we have controled the spread outside those people - but no one else has tested positive, yet. The industry has called for a moratoriumon all production until after June 8, when the last of Darren's partners will be cleared of having contracting or passed on the virus.

Despite much online rumor, it is believed that he contracted the virus from performing in an anal scene with a woman in Brazil. (He had tested negative in both February and March.)

The worst part of this whole thing? That he's a Black Male performer. He's received death threats. I've seen the word, "lynching" on message boards. He has been most responsible... unlike Marc Wallice was. He's in hiding and has not been seen or heard from even by his best friends since Tuesday. Everyone is worried about him. Heis the type of guy that doesn't drink, smoke, do drugs, or sleep around outside of work. His image is everywhere... he was on the cover of Variety this week. Can you imagine?

In our industry, there are racist factors that tell white female performers not to do scenes with Black men because it will ruin their careers. This will only fuel their pitch. A black man has infected one of their sweet little white girls... When the reality is that anyone could have come down with the virus.

Unfortunately, what's happened is both the fault of the consumer and the fault of the companies. The consumer wants more hardcore product and the producers give in. The consumer doesn't buy product with condoms. Ethinc companies like Videoteam that were once condom only give into the consumer desire for non-condom sex. Talent is viewed as disposible, and their safety over the consumers fantasy is not even considered. Fans say condoms ruin their fantasy & the companies give in and producer dirtier, nastier, more hardcore material...

Talent like myself that makes the move to condom only get fewer roles and are even asked to work for lesser pay. For some 18 year old girl that fears lack of work & is living paycheck to paycheck - it's tough. At present there's no telling what will come of the business after this. Mr. Marcus has been quoted with say that he may become condom only. Marc Anthony, Darren's best friend & one of the performers to have worked with both positive people in a scene has said he is so clearly shaken that he may never work in front of the camera again, and if he does he will choose to be condom only as well. Everyone is shaken right now so there's no telling what happens from here. I'll continue to perform condom only after the work moratorium has been lifted...

There is an industry wide meeting on Wednesday. AIM will hold a press conference on Thursday. I'm sure it will be all over the news so stay tuned...



all my best,
Sinnamon Love

[AllanahStarrNYC]

It is really sad how the media, especially the porn media have treated this gentleman and not respected his medical privacy.

I keep on hearing words like "dirty" and "quarantine" and it makes me think that some people's minds have changed very little in regard to the attitude to people with HIV.

I think part of the problem is that we are really uneducated by the media about the facts. Its all scare tactics. It is a scary thing ot think about but we must remain educated. HIV is is really not so simple to contract. You can sex with a HIV positive person and still remain negative. Your body has to be in certain states(temp., DNA configuration) and the person viral load has to be strong enough @ that time to transmist if all circumstances are correct. There have been many studies of people who have had long term sex with HIV positive parties and still have remained negative. Why?
No medicine is abosolute and neither is science folks.
Did you guys read the NY Times article that said that RNA not DNA could now be more important to genetic coding and basically all research that have done towards molecular bioligy with DNA could be misguided?

My point is that that you never turly know. What we know is that HIV is the PROBABLE cause of AIDS. I had friends tell me that when they saw that report on 20/20 recently they were shocked to find that fact out. There is no absolute proof that HIV causes AIDS, it is a hyposthesis. That is a medical fact.

The idustry must continue. People will have to make decisions if they want to use condoms or not for scenes but I think if we really want to cut risks factors even lower, condoms should be used. What is so terrible about a condom anyway? I bet they have saved millions of lives.

[dan_yearsgone83]

Maybe it's just my lack of knowledge on the subject, but what does this "quarantine" consist of? Is it just that he isn't allowed to participate in any films or what?

I'm with Allanah though...I never got why more str8 porn scenes weren't shot with condoms either. I'm not saying all condoms all the time, but why take an unnecessary chance?

[d]

The people on the quarantine can't work (film scenes) in the "industry" until their next testing period passes.
As for the lack of condoms in str8 porn, condomless sex sells. Most of the top straight porn sellers have no condoms in any scenes. I guess that what the viewers want.

[bezane]

The agreement, the"contract"and the governing body of the industry also relies heavily on this group of actors to abide by their committment to making it work. The rumour that this actor went to Brazil and made films without stating this t subseuent companies is true. Vickie is right. Hundreds of thousands of scenes in the last five years and this is the first incident. Sounds safe to me. My experiences with the industry have been first rate.

[popperluv]

What right does the media have to put the guys picture all over the place.
Theres definatly a hidden agenda there.