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Foundation Demands Porn Industry Crack Down on HIV
Los Angeles, CA - July 16, 2009
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed court papers Thursday demanding county public health officials take steps to prevent sexually transmitted diseases in the local adult film industry in the wake of an actress' positive HIV test.
The foundation is asking for a court order directing the Department of Public Health to "discharge its ... duty to combat an acknowledged epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases stemming from production of hardcore pornography" by requiring condom use or taking other appropriate steps to prevent disease in the porn industry.
AHF officials say the petition was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court after other efforts to compel the county to take steps to protect the public's health in the aftermath of last month's revelation that an actress working in the adult film business had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS.
At that time, AHF urged the county to improve the monitoring of HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention in the region's adult film industry and require condom use, or to shut down porn sets.
"The Department of Public Health has a responsibility to try and control the spread of STDs in L.A. County, particularly in a commercial venue," said AHF President Michael Weinstein.
"Despite this responsibility, 29 days after an outbreak of a potentially lethal virus-HIV-in the porn industry, the county has not taken a single step to address this serious public health threat," he charged.
The department released a statement defending its actions in addressing the problems cited by the foundation.
"The Department of Health Services is committed to preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases," the statement reads. "The department does not believe that litigation is the best means to deal with this issue. We have just received the petition and will be reviewing it with county counsel and the Board of Supervisors."
Copyright City News Service
- NBC Los Angeles
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Foundation-Demands-Porn-Industry-Crack-Down-on-HIV.html
