California to create new rules for condoms in adult films

Health and safety officials in California are drafting new rules on the use of condoms in adult films.

Officials for California’s Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) met last week and it was announced that new safety amendments to the state’s Bloodborne Pathogens Statute are being drafted.

The new rules would strengthen workplace safety requirements, although the wording of the proposed amendments has not yet been released. They are expected to be presented at a Cal/OSHA advisory meeting in June.

In October, 24-year-old porn actor Derrick Burts contracted HIV after working on gay and straight adult film sets. He has since called for condoms to be made compulsory across the industry.

The straight porn industry currently requires performers to be tested regularly and checks them against a database called AIM but this is not a requirement in gay porn.

Condoms are normally used but there is still a market for bareback films.

According to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Los Angeles public health statistics say that workers in the adult film industry are ten times more likely to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease than the general public.

Up to 25 cases of HIV are said to have been found in adult film actors since 2004.

Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, commented: “This is the first time the public has heard of Cal/OSHA’s plans to draft and introduce what [we see] are much-needed safety amendments to California’s Bloodborne Pathogens Statute in order to better protect workers and performers in the adult film industry.

“As a global HIV and STD medical care provider, we’ve seen it as our duty to pursue action on this issue of safety in the workplace.”