A letter encouraging the use of condoms that was sent to over 400 Adult production companies by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) earlier this week has made national headlines this morning, raising the profile of an aspect of the Adult industry most insiders would apparently prefer was ignored.
Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the LAC DHS, authored the letter, which endorsed a set of protocols that the LAC DHS developed based on its investigation of health and safety factors within the Adult industry that began during the HIV outbreak earlier this year.
The letter caused a stir earlier this week in the industry, primarily because of false reports that the letter was from California's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) and was an omen that a government crackdown was about to begin.
Cal/OSHA and the LAC DHS work closely together on health and safety issues, but the letter in question was sent without Cal/OSHA's knowledge.
"We were shocked when we found out about the letter. It took us completely by surprise," Cal/OSHA spokesperson Dean Fryer told AVN.com. However, Fryer did acknowledge the merits of the protocols called for by the letter. "Simply put,” he said, “it's the safest way to conduct business in the adult industry."
The letter called for the industry to observe four protocols: (1) condom use for all penetrative sexual acts, including oral sex; (2) frequent check-ups; (3) vaccination of non-immune performers for Hepatitis A and B; and (4) ongoing education and training for all Adult film industry performers, producers and directors regarding work-related exposure and the risk of acquisition of HIV and STDs.
Only a handful of Adult companies are willing to shoot scenes with condoms.
The letter was released three weeks after Cal/OSHA issued citations totaling $30,560 for violation of health and safety regulations related to the exposure of three performers to HIV earlier this year.
The Los Angeles Times published an article about the letter this morning, bringing it to the attention of the national media.
An Associated Pressarticle states the letter "came as state lawmakers threatened possible legislation to require the use of condoms in porn productions." The AP presumably is referring to legislation that Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) suggested in August was a possibility, not recently as the AP article suggests.
