Los Angeles porn industry takes a break amid HIV scare.
The Los Angeles porn industry has ground to a halt after a local trade association called for a pause in production following a HIV scare.
The moratorium, prompted by the industry’s Free Speech Coalition on Wednesday, is set to run through Monday. An actor on a set outside of California may have been infected with the virus, which can lead to AIDS at its most-advanced stage, but the Coalition would not reveal the identity of the performer or where the at-risk production was located.
Originally the Coalition had set a three-day production hold, but that was extended until next week on Friday.
The extra break allows for all tests on possibly-affected performers to be concluded, Diane Duke, leader of the coalition, said.
“We understand that production delays are difficult for performers as well as producers,” Duke wrote in a blog post. “However, as always, for the safety and integrity of the performer pool, we need to err on the side of caution.
“We will continue to work with producers, performers and the health department to investigate, and determine when production can safely continue,” she added.
Besides being held up by the pause, the Los Angeles porn industry has had other headaches. After Los Angeles County voters approved a measure requiring condoms to be worn during filming in 2012, production in the area plummeted.
The HIV testing system and temporary prohibitions are not new. They have prevented the transmission of HIV on an adult film set for more than 10 years, according to the Free Speech Coalition.
The trade association called for a two-day moratorium on X-rated filming in August after an HIV scare, which turned out to be false.
As for the current situation, Duke called on the public to respect “performer privacy” and refrain from jumping to conclusions.