Regulating Condom Use in the Porn Industry

Lindsay Beyerstein argues the porn industry should mandate condom use.

Porn performers have legal jobs producing legal products in a multibillion-dollar industry. Yet in practice, they lack basic health and safety protections that other workers take for granted. Less than 20 percent of hardcore straight porn features condoms, even though condoms or equivalent protection are required by law.

Male porn star Marc Wallice may have knowingly performed after testing positive for the AIDS virus. It is believed Wallice transmitted the viurus to female porn stars Brooke Ashley, Tricia Devereaux and Barbara Doll. Wallice may have also given the virus to Caroline Delfin and Jordan McKnight. The porn industry made Wallice to take the PCR-DNA April 30, 1998. Test results found Wallice was HIV positive for a year.

The Wallice fiasco serves as a good reason for condom use in the porn industry. I seriously doubt the federal government will step in. Hopefully, California's government is progressive enough to regulate condem use.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has filed a complaint with California's the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The AHF want to mandate porn producer Larry Flynt require all male performers to use condoms. The courts have sided with the porn industry in past legal battles over condom use. It is time for the California legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to step in.