LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A UCLA Fielding School of Public Health research study of several hundred adult film industry performers presented (in poster form) earlier today at the CDC’s 2014 STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta confirmed that contrary to widespread industry spin, adult film performers face significant risks to their sexual health and well-being while working in the industry. One in four adult film performers (24%) participating in the study reported an infection of gonorrhea or chlamydia, two serious, but treatable sexually transmitted diseases, while working in the industry—confirming the high STD risk facing adult film performers at work.
Complete results of the study, titled: ‘Adult Film Performers Transmission Behaviors and STI Prevalence1’ were first made public Tuesday. The study included responses from 366 adult film performers, 274 of whom (75%) were women. The study was conducted between August 2012 and June 2013 and was conducted by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Behavioral Epidemiology Research Group (with support from the California HIV/AIDS Research Program).
| WHAT: |
PRESS TELECONFERENCE: |
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UCLA film study confirms high STD risk facing porn actors working in the industry. |
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| WHEN: |
TUESDAY, June 10th 2014—11:00 AM Pacific |
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| WHO: |
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- Michael Weinstein, AIDS Healthcare Foundation President
- Marjan Javanbakht, PhD, First author of the UCLA study presentation (pending)
- Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director, Public Health Division, AHF
- Adam Carl Cohen, MPH Public Health Consultant, AHF
CONTACT: Ged Kenslea, AHF Communications Director (323) 791-5526 cell (323) 308-1833 office
TELECONFERENCE DIAL IN:
- Teleconference Dial in information: +1.877.411.9748 participant code #7134323
- International Dial in information (toll call): +1.636.651.3128 participant code #7134323
Following are some noteworthy findings from the research study poster (also available in an infographic prepared by AHF):
- Out of 366 performers, 23.7% tested positive for gonorrhea and/or chlamydia.
- 69.0% never used a condom on set in the past 30 days.
- 15.4% have had to perform sexual favors to get work.
- 10.3% have been physically hurt during a film shoot.
- 13.6% have had to perform a sex act they did not want to.
- 16.4% have not been paid at the end of the job.
- 33.2% have used a drug in the past three months.
- There was a statistically significant association between testing positive for STIs and the number of days working on set.
- There was a statistically significant association between testing positive for STIs and age and type of scene.
“This study confirms the extremely high STD risk facing adult film workers each day as they go about their work on adult film sets throughout California and elsewhere,” said Michael Weinstein, President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “Unscrupulous producers place these actors in jeopardy every time they require—or intimidate—these performers to work without condoms or other workplace safeguards. These adult film workers deserve better—as this study clearly demonstrates.”
The study comes out as the California Senate considers action later this month on legislation to require condoms in all adult films made in California (California Assembly Bill 1576, authored by Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III D-Los Angeles).
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 312,000 individuals in 34 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.
1 Source: Javanbakht M, Gorbach P, Dillavou C, Rigg RW, Pacheco S, & Kerndt PR.(10 June 2014 ). Adult Film Performers: Transmission Behaviors and STI Prevalence. Poster session presented at the CDC STD Prevention Conference, Atlanta, GA.
