While appreciating the financial burden that a moratorium on production places upon the entire industry, we see no other recourse considering the dire consequences of not doing so.
While the first-generation has been identified and quarantined, and AIM is rapidly creating a quarantine list for the second-generation, there is no doubt that there is already a third- and even fourth-generation in the outbreak.
The third- and fourth-generation is not being quarantined; AIM simply can’t track down that many people fast enough.
Thus we recommend that all adult companies cease production, or at the minimum shoot condom-only productions, until all women who have worked with Darren James since his last negative test, known as the “first-generation” have cleared. That will be on June 8, 2004.
In addition, we recommend that any woman who has performed with Darren James since Feb. 12 contact AIM. Most women in this category will have already passed their 30-day window, but as AIM’s Dr. Sharon Mitchell stated this morning there is a 60-day window before a person who has had sex with an HIV-positive partner can be 99 percent certain that infection has not occurred.
James is believed to have caught the virus while in Brazil around March 10, and later today AIM should be able to give a “guesstimate” of when that happened based on further tests on the amount of antibodies in James’ blood.
This is about the lives of our friends, our family, and our peers. While it is highly unlikely, it is possible that every performer in the adult industry could have HIV by this point. If you are talent and choose to work, your putting your life and also anyone with whom you have any form of sexual contact your partner’s at risk.
If you are a production company that hires talent that becomes infected with HIV during one of your productions – you may be found liable. Think about that when you’re looking at your balance sheets and your conscience. You will definitely lose two months worth of production, but you could lose your entire company and live out your life knowing you contributed to someone’s death for your profit.
Another consideration is that the government is watching the manner in which the adult industry handles this very closely.
The specter of regulation still looms over our shoulders and if the state deems that we, as an industry, handled this situation in an irresponsible manner, then this could be the final straw. That means condom-only forever.
There are two companies, Vivid Video and Wicked Pictures, which have been producing condom-only videos for some time in the face of market demand for videos without condoms. Their decision to place the safety of their performers above their profit should be commended; it should also serve as an example.
Tim Connelly, publisher of AVN adds, “If you are a performer in the adult industry at this moment, your body could very well be a lethal weapon and if you are a production company you are potentially putting innocent people in the line of fire. Some may consider this business a high wire act for performers, but there’s no reason to play Russian Roulette for the sake of another porn scene.”
