Adult Entertainer Tests HIV Positive, Says Trade Group

By City News Service

An adult-film industry trade group called for a moratorium on production in the San Fernando Valley Wednesday, saying a performer has tested positive for HIV.

Diane Duke, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, told the Daily News that the coalition and adult-entertainment film industry were "following established protocols for the protection of performers."

Coalition officials could not be reached to discuss the announcement. Officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health were not immediately available for comment on the reported HIV case.

The announcement came just days after a federal judge in downtown Los Angeles upheld the voter-approved Measure B, which was passed last November and requires producers of adult films to obtain a public health permit from the county, follow all health and safety laws, including condom use and pay a permit fee to cover enforcement of the law.

Assemblyman Isadore Hall III, D-Los Angeles, said news of an HIV case shows that the adult-film industry's testing policy "has failed."

"The fact is a voluntary testing only policy is as effective at preventing the spread of STDs as a pregnancy test is at preventing pregnancy," Hall said. "Short of requiring condoms in all adult films, this type of tragedy will continue and California workers will continue to be exposed to injury, harm and potentially death."

Hall called for a complete halt to all adult-film production in California until any actors or members of the public who have been potentially exposed to HIV are tested "to determine the extent of this outbreak."

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