Adult Film Studios Accused of Covering Up Syphilis Outbreak

Healthcare advocates Tuesday accused the adult film industry with trying to cover up the extent of an despite an industry-imposed production moratorium and a plan to provide antibiotics to all performers.

Much of the adult film industry has facilities in Chatsworth.

"What we have going on right now is a slow-motion train wreck and it's being covered up," said AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) President Michael Weinstein.

Weinstein said current cases under investigation nationwide -- he put the number at nine -- could increase into the triple digits, based on information from what he called "reliable sources" about the number of contacts involved and the likelihood of transmission.

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC), an industry trade group, in turn charged AHF with exaggeration.

"Michael Weinstein and AHF have a long history of making outrageous, wildly inaccurate statements about FSC, the adult industry and adult performers in the media," said FSC representative Joanne Cachapero. "This misinformation does nothing but confuse the issues and create a hostile atmosphere."

Los Angeles County's top health official, while declining to cite the exact number of cases, said less than a dozen were under investigation by his office involving either adult film performers or partners of performers.

"But we are in process of an investigation," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the Department of Public Health. "Those numbers could increase."

Fielding said there were 813 cases of syphilis countywide last year.

The Free Speech Coalition -- which called for a temporary shutdown of all adult film production beginning Monday -- plans to test all performers for the disease and said Tuesday it will make antibiotics available to each of them, as well.

"Syphilis is easily treatable -- it requires treatment with antibiotics. (The) Adult Production Health and Safety Services' doctors network has determined that prophylactic treatment for all performers is warranted," said an FSC statement released late this afternoon. "The shots have been ordered from the pharmacy and within the next couple of days, APHSS.org will have set up a network of medical professionals to administer the shots."

Once a performer receives antibiotics, they can be available to work within 10 days, according to FSC. A negative test for syphilis would not mean a performer would be approved to work, because it can take as long as 90 days for symptoms to appear.

Weinstein objected, saying blanket use of antibiotics will "bury the trail" of the disease.

"We're not going to know not only who contracted it within the industry, but (also) who contracted it outside the industry," he said.

Fielding said he was confused by the industry's plan.

"If somebody has been exposed ... it's reasonable to treat them," Fielding said. "I don't understand why one would do this for all performers" regardless of the likelihood of exposure to the disease based on days worked, contact with infected individuals and other factors.

AHF has lobbied for the on all adult film sets, a move the industry has resisted in favor of self-policing sexual safety on set.

"(This) could have been prevented with the use of condoms," Weinstein said of the syphilis cases.

Voluntary industry standards require performers to be tested every 30 days and show proof of a clean test. FSC is also developing a database to track STDs and provide information on testing facilities.

The , which will appear on November's ballot, would enforce condom use by requiring adult film producers to apply for a permit from the county Department of Public Health (DPH) to shoot sex scenes.

Pending the outcome of the initiative, AHF urged performers testing positive for syphilis to file a workplace complaint with Cal/OSHA and the county reiterated its support for Cal/OSHA's enforcement role.

A DPH statement released today by the department says: "The County of Los Angeles continues to strongly support state legislation, Cal/OSHA regulations and the regulatory role of Cal/OSHA as the most appropriate means to regulate the practices in the adult film industry that expose performers to unnecessary and preventable occupational risks of acquiring and transmitting these diseases."

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