I still get asked alot of questions about my time in porn. It's been two years since I first entered the industry yet, I still get the same questions. This is something new for a change, though I have already given my recommendations for the porn industry HERE in this blog. Since those are recommendations for many weak areas in the porn industry, I will be more specific here about what should be done in Porn Valley to lessen the STDs running rampant there.

We all know there's a battle raging on to mandate condoms in the porn industry. More specifically, the real fight is to have the LA Health Department and CalOSHA enforce the standards already set to require protective equipment for every aspect of a porn scene. Right now, the industry is supposed to police themselves. Throughout my story here at Porn In The Valley, I've shown numerous examples of how the porn industry does NOT police itself in any manner, shape or form. Several producers, Steve Hirsch and John Stagliano to name a couple, have stated on national mainstream media sources that the porn industry is what it is, it isn't gonna change and there ain't nothing anyone can do about it.  Sounds like a challenge to me and we all wait to see what LAHD and CalOSHA will do about it

Due to the HIV case in June of 2009 and the attempted coverup of 18 more cases of HIV in the industry, there must be change. Performers have to be protected. Since the industry has dug it's heels in on these issues, it's up to the regulators to take a stand and improve conditions in Porn Valley. How many people have to become terminally infected, lose their ability to bear children and take these diseases into the public before someone steps in and does what should have been done a long time ago?? We don't know since nothing has changed yet in Porn Valley and it's now January of 2010, 6 months later!!

First and foremost, increase the diseases tested for which is a no brainer and requires no more time than the usual testing already done. HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are currently the standards and tested on a monthly basis. Add to that Hep C, Syphilis, HVP, Trichomoniasis and Genital Herpes and you pretty much have a full panel testing for STDs that are common in the sex industries. The cost is not that much more for the sex worker compared to the treatments they would suffer through and the work they would lose if they contracted any of these diseases. If you truly want a safer industry, these STDs have to be tested for. A full panel should done, at minimum, when entering the industry so you know a performer is totally clean when they start. Annual testing for some of these can be utilized but terminal diseases should still be tested at least monthly. 

There is a very important fact about testing that every performer should be aware of. Condoms still must be used for protection during sexual activity because of this to provide the most effective protection. There are now drugs out there that mask HIV and Hep C  which means someone with an active disease running through their body can still test negative. That's right, a person with HIV or Hep C can test negative while at the same time exposing others to the same diseases. Testing helps in discovery and treatment of STDs but it's not 100% effective because of this reason. The only way to help protect against this problem is to also use a condom and stop exposing mucus membranes (vagina, eyes, nose, mouth, ears) to semen and other bodily fluids very prevalent on a porn set.

Second, test all industry workers, not just the performers, on a 6 month basis at the very least. Many in the industry use the performers as the guide to their own safety when having sex with someone. As long as the performers are clean, they figure they are safe too. The problem with this theory is many workers in porn have sex outside the industry as well. It only takes one person to bring a disease into the industry to infect hundreds of people in a matter of days. This was proven in late 07 and early 08 when there was a Chlamydia outbreak inside the industry. It took 6 months to get it under control and almost every female performer had at least one or more infections during this time. This proves the myth that working only with females is a much safer method of protection inside the industry is simply wrong. Females there need to be educated about the increased risk that females face to be infected by any STD.

Females are approximately 80% more likely to get an STD than a male. The fact that we are penetrated during sex puts the infected cells directly into our bodies thus throughout our system which makes them easier to contract and grow. When a male ejaculates or urinated at the end of a scene or sexual act, he effectively cleanses his urethra, the pathway by which he can be infected through. If he washes thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap immediately after having sex, he lowers his risks even more so infestation is highly unlikely. The females in porn generally douche before a scene which increases her risks of STD contamination because she effectively rinses away the very bodily fluids in her vagina that are there to protect her insides from absorbing bacteria and germs. These bodily fluids, known as discharge, are there to wash these germs back out where they end up on our panties to be washed away in the laundry.

I've spoken about Hep C before and women having sex with other women during their period is a high risk sexual behavior that is VERY common in the porn industry. When working in Nevada at a legal brothel, you are tested for Hep C and if found positive, you are not allowed to work during your mensuration to protect the customer even though condoms are mandatory and used for every sexual act performed there. Some female performers only do girl/girl scenes either because they are in a relationship and their man doesn't want to share or because they think it's safer than sexual intercourse with a man. Simply not true in an industry that doesn't test for Hep C. My guess is they don't test for Hep C because there are many there that have it. My guess is also that many performers that have stepped behind the camera have terminal STDs that prevent them from performing because they can't pass an HIV test. The problem with this practice is the fact that some of them still have sex with performers and others inside the industry yet they don't have to disclose their terminal status because there is no testing required for behind the scene workers of porn.

The most important safety measure that can be put into place to protect performers is to immediately stop ejaculating on the female performers face. This type of risky behavior is just as bad as ejaculating into the vagina which was stopped back in 2004 when 5 performers were infected with HIV. The creampie, as they call it, was found to be very high risk behavior as I stated above, because it inserted possibly infected bodily fluid directly into the female performer. Ejaculating on the face of the female performer does EXACTLY the same thing. This risky behavior exposes the female performers eyes, nose, mouth and ears to bodily fluids in a direct and intrusive manner. That exposes their ENTIRE upper respitory system to possible disease and here's the kicker. The industry currently DOES NOT test the oral orifices of the performers AT ALL so the spread of disease here is very possible. Mandatory oral swab testing for STDs should be added to the testing requirements to keep these diseases from spreading from oral sex and other methods.

Scenes that include more than one or two performers such as boy/girl/girl, girl/girl/girl and boy/boy/girl or group sex should include clean ups when switching from one performer to another. This is not normally done in the porn industry. When Elli and I stated this was something that MUST be done when we worked with the same performer, we caught alot of flack from the industry about it and many companies refused to work with us because we had set standards for our porn scenes. There is nothing wrong with requiring a safe work environment while you're working inside the sex industries. A penis or toy should NEVER go from one vagina to another without first being cleansed with anti-bacterial soap. This should be mandatory.

The ejaculation or "money shot" should be done on the breasts, stomach or back and buttocks. There should be no open wounds or sores on a performer or they should not be allowed to do the scene. Immediately after the ejaculation, a behind the scenes worker should have available anti-bacterial wipes to clean up the bodily fluids. This should be done by a worker instead of the performer and the worker should wear latex gloves while they clean the bodily fluids from the performer. Showers should be provided at every set and performers should be required to take a shower with anti-bacterial soap immediately after a scene is completed.

Female performers are highly discouraged by the porn industry to dictate standards by which they will work in a scene. Let's face it though, the male performers have been dictating their exposure for years now. It's well known that many male performers refuse to perform oral sex on the females because it puts them at a much higher risk of oral STD contamination. Yet, it's a well known fact that only about 25% of boy/girl porn scenes these days include oral sex on the female performers while 100% of boy/girl porn scenes include oral sex or blow job on the males. This shows the industry responded to the male performers set standards so why should it be any different for the females?? Otherwise, it's called sexual discrimination and is another one of those regulations the industry refuses to follow!!

ALL female performers should immediately refuse to work with other female performers while they are menstruating. They have to refuse the "money shot" to be performed upon their faces because of the concern for exposure to their eyes, nose, mouth and ears to diseases. Females are most likely to contract and spread STDs so it's up to female performers to protect themselves and those they work with!! There is absolutely nothing wrong with demanding a safe working environment while you're working inside the sex industries. If the performers were to all stick together and make these recommendations a standard they must have to do a scene, you would protect yourself and each other. After all, you know you can't count on AIM or the producers to protect you. They've already proven they don't care about your health and your lives. Prove to them that YOU do. Use these standards and request a condom. It's YOUR life and those you care about that you will be protecting and saving!!!

One last thought which involves a national campaign is to create a class about reproduction, birth control, STDs and the affects of pornography on an individual and the country. These are all subjects that need to be discussed and taught to our children to offset the misinformation they are receiving. This class should be offered to all teenagers between the ages of 16-18 in high schools and for all college students on all college campuses. This class should be a mandatory semister with indepth information because these kids need to know the facts. They need to be able to make informed decisions. After all, we are expecting them to plan their lives as adults yet we're withholding the very tools they need so they can succeed at them!!