LOS ANGELES—The Free Speech Coalition released the following statement Tuesday regarding a Canadian performer who has come forth as testing HIV-positive:
Recently, a Canadian performer who had been working outside the PASS system confirmed that they tested positive for HIV, after an encounter in their private life. The performer was not affiliated with PASS or any PASS productions, and is unrelated to the April production hold.
We have been in contact with the performer, partners, production companies, and PASS-compliant clinics to determine if there were any possible interactions that could have posed a risk to performers within the PASS database or elsewhere. There was none, and no production hold was or is required.
We ask both the press and those within our community to refrain from speculations as well as from peddling stigma, fear, and shame.
The incident should reaffirm the importance of PASS database and protocols. We live in an age when anyone with a camera and an internet connection can produce adult video. Production happens outside the United States with increasing frequency, with some small producers accepting paper or PDF tests, which are easily tampered with, or accepting tests beyond the fourteen-day requirement of PASS protocols.
The protocols we now call PASS were developed in 2004, and they have been incredibly effective at protecting adult performers within the system. In fact, there has not been an HIV transmission on a PASS-compliant set since the protocols were instituted over a decade ago. By adhering to the protocols, we can keep this safety record.
PASS can only be effective for those who use the system.
Always Check PASS Database
Unlike paper tests or PDFs, the PASS data system is verifiable. Data comes directly from the testing centers, can not be forged, and is not vulnerable to date calculation skills. If a performer is listed as clear in the PASS database, they have tested clear for HIV and other STIs within the fourteen day window.
Only Work on PASS Compliant Sets
The PASS protocols are the most comprehensive and reliable way of preventing STI transmission on adult sets. It doesn’t matter the size of the set, or the production company. Any production — even content trades, customs, and cam show — should comply with PASS protocols to ensure performer safety.
PASS Is Free
We designed PASS to be universally available to all people on all sets, from large studio productions to small customs and cam shows. Performers and producers can access PASS entirely for free, and subsidies for testing costs can be partially off-set through the Performer Subsidy Fund.
Since the protocols were first instituted in 2004, we have worked constantly to evolve and improve the protocols, as testing becomes more accurate, and to increase prevention options. The PASS advisory board will reconvene in the new year, to discuss adding oral and rectal swabs to increase protections against STIs for those working in the performer pool.
