Public Health Comes to Porn Valley

What happens when you treat acting in porn like any other profession? What would it look like if you set aside social stigma and thought about porn performers the same way you think about doctors or teachers or postal carriers?

A study published today in PLoS Medicine, a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science offers one answer to those questions, and I’m not sure the people who make money off the backs of porn actors (and the wallets of porn consumers) are going to like what they see. The paper, titled The Adult Film Industry: Time to Regulate? calls for specific regulations of the adult film industry including mandatory condom use and national legislation that would prevent smaller companies from getting around safety standards. Other recommendations cited by the authors (and compiled by a recent working group of adult performers, industry executives, state and local health officials, and legal representatives) include:

• National legislation that includes regulation of internet-based adult films
• Mandatory condom use with condom seal of approval
• Film rating system based on set safety criteria
• Licensure of performers
• STD testing paid for by the industry
• Vaccinations against human papillomavirus and hepatitis B and post-exposure prophylaxis paid for by the industry
• Education and training of all workers and employees
• Legal age of performers raised from 18 to 21 years old
• Drug testing of performers

According to figures cited in the study, rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea among adult performers are more than double what they are among patients visiting family clinics.

The authors point to the absurdity of treating work on an adult film set, which is legal work, differently than any other form of legal work:

In the health care setting, it is hard to imagine a clinic or hospital not providing and requiring its employees to wear gloves or other personal protective equipment. If a health care worker has a needle stick or other potentially infectious fluid exposure on the job, systems are in place to rapidly and effectively treat the employee to prevent transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases. Although a legal industry, adult film has allowed consistent exposure of its employees to HIV, hepatitis, human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other diseases without liability or worker recourse.

I can imagine the response of many porn producers to the above list of recommended actions. They’ll say it will never happen, the industry will go underground, performers don’t want this any more than consumers or producers.

And while I’m generally cautious about allowing government intervention in anything sex related, if you see this issue, as the authors of the paper do, as simply one of worker safety, than there’s no reasonable conclusion other than implementing most if not all of these policies.

The authors of the paper put it best, and simplest, in their concluding comments:

Adult film is now so accepted and widespread that it cannot easily escape regulation, especially now that is so readily accessible on the Internet, cable networks, and in most major hotels. Unfortunately, the growing popularity of adult film has not translated into safer working conditions for performers. It is unethical for industry executives, legislators, and consumers to continue to enjoy the profits, tax revenues, and gratification of adult film without ensuring the safety of performers.

PLoS Medicine: The Adult Film Industry: Time to Regulate?