Because of the recent outbreak of HIV in the San Fernando Valley adult industry, AVN and others in the industry are recommending a production moratorium until June 8, 2004. According to Adult Industry Medical (AIM), if no new HIV-positive cases have shown up by that date, the industry will be able to safely return to its normal production schedule.
While this quarantine primarily affects video/film/DVD producers and performers, the online adult community is by no means in the clear.
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One of the first-generation female stars who worked with Darren James, the male performer who first tested positive for HIV earlier this week, had sex with James while shooting content for her Website during the time that he is believed to have had the virus.
Many Webmasters shoot exclusive sexual content for their Websites or contract content producers who do.
Should Internet adult content providers observe the moratorium as well, or are these two separate worlds, two separate talent pools?
AVN.com asked questions and solicited opinions from a cross-section of adult Webmasters and content providers regarding this industry-wide scare.
Q: Is there crossover between video/film performers and performers shooting porn content for the Web?
"For us, there is no difference between video and online performers," said CEO Matrix Content Norman Bentley. "We shoot many of the video performers. Everyone is at risk."
"There's a lot of porn stars who have their own live cam sites and do sex shows throughout the month, but there's also a lot of amateurs or real-life couples who are not directly affected by the porn industry," noted Jason Sechrest, adult entertainment reporter/publicist and operator of straight and gay adult site JasonCurious.com.
"I think it should be more apparent to people that any sex performer, or any person for that matter, having sex without a condom is always at risk," he said, pointing out that many performers shoot both video/film work and Internet porn. "This debacle, and so many people's reaction to it, has really proven how uneducated and delusional a lot of people in this business have been and still are, especially in the heterosexual side of the industry. If nothing else, it has served as an eye-opening experience to everyone who is involved in any medium of sex work."
However, Sechrest does not support the moratorium. "I don't think there is any reason to halt production of any medium," he noted. "I think if anyone is concerned about their health, they should use a condom. It is preposterous to think that halting production for 60 days is going to [clear] the industry of the virus so things can go back to the way they were before, as if it can't happen again.
“Performers will always have recreational sex outside of the business. We've just been lucky so far. You tell me what is safer: using a condom or a using a test that is at least less than 30 days old."
Webmaster Central president Andy Alvarez, on the other hand, full supports the moratorium.
"Absolutely, whatever it takes to keep [performers] safe," he said. "They should be tested often and use condoms. I believe it's the responsibility of the entire crew to keep them safe."
Yet not everyone feels there is much crossover between video and online performers.
"I'd venture to estimate [the talent pools are] 90 percent separate; they are two completely different spheres," opined Greg Jones, who works in communications and media at 2much Internet Services. "Generally, chat sites feature non-professionals, whereas your porn-industry circle is a career-oriented content creator… But then there's street-blowjob-type sites where they don't feature or work with professionals who would be affected by HIV in the industry."
Q: Should a production company be held legally responsible for a video performer getting HIV during a shoot?
"No," said Jones. "Unless the production is truly irresponsible - say, hiring an off-the street half-stoned hooker to perform - there really is no room for corporate liability in a business which features consensual activity by performers who are supposed to be professionals and have their responsibility to themselves and their fellow humans to be safe. If they fail, act irresponsibly, they should be held liable - even by the company that hired them."
"The online porn world is largely immune to this kind of propagation," he added. "[Online performers] are as likely to be infected or have sex with multiple partners as someone not in the online porn industry. Performers who have unprotected sex with multiple and/or unknown partners online are just as likely to do so in the real world, whereas multiple partners are just part of the job for otherwise monogamous performers.
“The best way for the porn industry to deal with this is exactly as AVN proscribed. It is imperative for the health of the performers and the industry."
Mandy Haga, account manager of adult Webmaster referral network TabooRevenue.com, has a different take.
"It affects us badly," she said. "It is terrifying to know that the industry and beyond has been opened up to an incurable disease. What we need to consider is that it isn't just the industry that is affected. It is also those outside the industry with whom these people come into sexual contact.
"I feel [companies] have a responsibility to keep their performers safe," added Haga, whose site does not shoot content. "They should require testing of those who've been outside the country or those who've been in questionable circumstances, just to cover themselves."
"I think the only person accountable is the person who allowed someone to penetrate them without a condom," Sechrest said. "The finger pointing has got to stop. If you don't want to have sex without a condom, fine! Don't use condoms. But be aware of the potential and accept the responsibility when it happens."
Some Webmasters are clearly very directly affected.
"When I read the quarantine list, my heart dropped," said Jimmy Mofo, president of MofoWear.net, an online adult clothing company.
MofoWear spokesmodel Kayla Marie is on the “first generation” quarantine list, but has not been confirmed as having contracted HIV.
"Everyone I contacted was absolutely devastated,” said Mofo. “But, more importantly, when I called Kayla she was in a state of disbelief and shock. There was really nothing I could do but tell her that we all loved her and would be there for her no matter what."
Q: What if a performer is infected with HIV during an online shoot? Should the producers and studio be held accountable? And what, if anything, can the online porn industry do to prevent this type of outbreak?
"As producers, we should take every precaution to make sure our performers are safe," Bentley said. "We will only be shooting solo girl till this issue is resolved. As an industry, we should not go outside our pool of performers. Going to foreign countries that don't have the same standards [as the U.S.] is dangerous."
Bentley was referring to the possibility that James contracted the virus during a video shoot in Brazil. Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation's Dr. Sharon Mitchell estimates that James contracted the virus March 10, while having unprotected anal sex with a Brazilian woman.
"[Companies] should require testing of those re-entering the U.S., those in questionable circumstances, and new or returning performers, regardless of paperwork," said Haga. "Otherwise, there should be required condom use and perhaps a four-week quarantine of those in the afore-mentioned circumstances preventing them from working until the time has expired and they've tested negatively."
"Control, control, control," said Jones. "Self-regulation, industry-wide medical insurance. Moratoriums on unprotected on-screen sex."
"Condoms," stated Sechrest. "There's no other way to prevent it really, is there? [We need] to realize that we all could be more educated than we've been. We all need to take more responsibility for our actions, and choose for ourselves whether to mandate condom use in our professional and personal lives, and accept the consequences."
As of this writing, 13 women are known to have worked with Darren James since the time he is suspected to have been HIV-positive. The women are known as the "first generation," signifying their status as having had direct sexual contact with James.
Since word broke of James HIV-positive status, one woman, Laura Roxx, has been confirmed by AIM as HIV-positive. Dynasty, a veteran female performer, was added to the first-generation “A” list April 15 when it was discovered she performed in a scene with James on March 25, one day after he had performed with Roxx.
It is not known at this time if Roxx contracted HIV from James, but it has been assumed by most to be the case. Roxx, also known as Lara Coxx, performed in a double-anal scene with James and Mark Anthony. Performer RayVeness, who has spoken with Roxx, said the scene ended with an internal cum shot from James. She also said that Roxx and another girl performed in a blowjob scene with performer Maxxx later that same day.
RayVeness performed a blowjob scene with Maxxx a few days later.
Tyler Knight was found to have performed with Roxx, adding another name to the first-generation “B” list, the list of performers who have worked directly with Coxx since her performance with James.
The emergence of Roxx as a second HIV-positive performer created the need for the tracking of two separate lists of performers who have come into contact with the HIV virus. "A" and "B" designations have been selected to identify lists relative to James and Coxx, respectively.
Knight performed in a scene with Coxx on March 25. Knight then performed in a scene with Eva Lux on April 8, adding another name to the first-generation B list.
The remaining first-generation performers are currently under quarantine for 60 days, the amount of time it could take for HIV to appear in measurable quantities. After that time, they will take another PCR-DNA and an RNA HIV test. If those tests come back negative, the first-generation performers will be declared “clear,” and they will be able to return to performing.
In the meantime, AIM is concentrating on identifying the second generation, people who have worked with members of the first generation on or after the date the first generation worked with James.
Scott Ross contributed to this report.
