LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A groundbreaking new research study undertaken by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (Schrimshaw et al. 2016) has documented a notable increase in condom use among viewers of adult films in which the performers wore condoms.
Based on researchers’ analysis of study data (from a cohort of 265 men who have sex with men or MSM), “…the number of condomless anal sex encounters increased by approximately 25% for every one unit increase in the proportion of [pornography] viewed online that featured condomless anal sex. In contrast, the number of condomless anal encounters decreased by approximately 38% for every one unit increase in the proportion of [pornography] viewed online that featured anal sex with condoms.”
According to the study’s abstract, “These findings provide important insights for health policy and the design of interventions addressing SEM (sexually explicit media) and condomless sex among MSM. The findings suggest that condom use by SEM performers may benefit not only actor health, but also have health implications for SEM viewers.”
Representatives for the adult industry were quick to try to discount any correlation, claiming that porn is simply “entertainment.”
However, proponents of condom use in adult film production—which is already required under federal and state OSHA statutes—were quick to counter the adult industry’s efforts to discredit a correlation between viewing and condom use.
“Porn is not a just a fantasy. Real life performers are having actual sex; contracting STDs—and the audience knows it,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). “People emulate actions, behaviors, clothing, hairstyles and other things they see in mainstream movies all the time—why would it be any different with porn? From Farah Fawcett hairdos in the '70s to kids copying Jackass movie stunts today. Also, people need to remember that porn is a business and as such, employers and producers in the industry have a duty and responsibility under both federal and state OSHA statutes to protect their employees, which in the case of adult film production, means condoms.”
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 609,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
