At least 16 previously unpublicized HIV cases in porn film performers, public health officials say [Updated]

Los Angeles County officials released public health data this afternoon indicating that 16 previously unpublicized cases of HIV had been confirmed in adult film industry performers since 2004 when an outbreak shut down porn production for a month.

The 2004 cases -- involving a male porn star, three actresses he had worked with and an unrelated case in a transsexual performer -- drew intense scrutiny to safety practices in the industry.

The newly released data brings the number of known HIV cases in adult film performers to 22 since 2004, including a porn actress who tested positive late last week. At least 10 of those cases involved men who had sex with other men, according to health officials.

In all, 16 men and 5 women who worked as adult film industry performers contracted HIV between 2004 and 2008, according to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health data requested by The Times.

Between 1998 and 2003, 14 confirmed HIV cases were reported among adult film performers, according to the health department.

The previously unpublicized cases will probably shock adult industry workers, who repeatedly have described the new case as the first since 2004. It was not immediately clear whether any of the previously unpublicized HIV infections involved workplace transmission of the virus.

Officials from the San Fernando Valley-based Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation released more details this afternoon about the most recent case. The actress tested for HIV on June 4 and the first positive result was returned Saturday, according to a statement from AIM founder Sharon Mitchell on her clinic’s website. The woman had last tested negative for HIV on April 29, Mitchell said.

Three others with connections to the woman have so far tested negative for HIV, according to the statement, including two men described as "industry partners."

A man who worked with the woman on Friday, the day before she received her positive HIV test results, tested negative Tuesday, according to Mitchell. He is scheduled to be tested again June 19.

Another man tested "not detected" for HIV on Monday, the statement said. He had tested HIV negative on May 13, Mitchell said. The man is scheduled to test again on June 22. In addition, the girlfriend of one of the men last tested negative on May 19, according to the statement.

“Rumor is rampant when the words HIV and porn are in the same sentence; the media is like a moth to a flame,” Mitchell said. “We are finding that many clients, patients and companies are tempted to discuss this delicate matter with the world for whatever personal or professional gain. Fact is, that we are still awaiting final confirmation on the patient Zero, who was given a positive result on Saturday 6/6/09.”

She also dismissed rumors in the industry that AIM workers had given the woman a negative result in error allowing her to work and expose others.

“This too, is not possible, as there was no result available either positive or negative until 6/6/09,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell told AVN, an adult industry website, on Wednesday that the clinic had recently changed its policies on disclosure of new cases. "What we do is just handle everything privately unless there's a widespread problem," she said.

[Updated at 8 p.m.: Dr. Colin Hamblin, AIM's medical director, provided a different timeline of events later today. Hamblin said the porn actress first tested HIV positive on June 4 and worked the following day for reasons he said were still being investigated. A second positive result came back Saturday. And the clinic is awaiting results of a third and final confirmatory test, he said.

Hamblin described the woman as having had two recent sexual partners, a fellow porn actor who worked with her on June 5 and her boyfriend, who is not in the porn industry. Those men have had sexual intercourse with an additional six people, who have all been notified and offered testing, he said.]

--Kimi Yoshino and Rong-Gong Lin II

Related stories:

Porn industry healthcare clinic not cooperating, public health officials say

Porn actress tests positive for HIV

From the archives:

2 HIV Cases Put a Scare into Porn

See No Evil: In California's unregulated porn film industry, an alarming number of performers are infected with HIV and other STDs. And nobody seems to care.

Comments

[Randall Burns]

The LA Times is engaging in irresponsible journalism. The LA Public Health department has no evidence that that 16 "unreported" cases were actually active actors in film production companies that follow the AIM testing protocols.

When actors want to work in the legitimate adult film industry, they must present negative HIV results no more than 30 days old. That testing protocol has uncovered some individuals who were HIV+ but have never appeared in any legitimate porn film. Most of those 16 cases were men have sex with men-and gay production companies have only recently started using the AIM testing protocols.

Instead of blasting AIM, LA Public Health would do better to promote expanded use of STD testing in aspects of adult entertainment and sexually active communities where STD testing is less regularly practiced.

[Shelley Lubben]

I am extremely pleased to see the porn industry being exposed. I am working tediously behind the scenes and can guarantee you I will do everything and beyond to make sure this industry is exposed and that laws are changed. Please visit my web site to learn the truth about porn from many ex porn stars, research and more.

ex porn star, Shelley Lubben
Pink Cross Foundation
www.thepinkcross.org

[joey]

whoa but seriously guys, which porno girls got the aids?

[concerned]

"12 billion dollars a year and no porn star or director makes that money. The major porn companies are multi-million companies and some are traded on the stock market."

---------

Big freakin' whoop.

What good is an industry generating 12 TRILLION dollars a year - when many PEOPLE in that industry are contracting incurable, deadly diseases as a result of working in that industry?

Corpses can't spend money.

Dead people can't enjoy money.

Life or money. That's the choice these sex workers are making - whether they like it or not. Because HIV/AIDS is not going anywhere. It's here to stay.

[Emily Sykes]

Yes, young women(and men) need to stop exploiting themselves. But to get behind the problem you need to realize that people have this insatiable desire for porn. As long as people are contributing to the industry, paying for pornography, which im not sure but i assume is a multi-billion dollar industry, then it will never stop. The people in the porn industry see dollar signs and they forfit their morals. There needs to be a non-demand for porn. People are sexual and visual by nature, but they need to see that this business is not healthy for anyone involved.

[ScreaminFetus]

Wow... It seems as though alot of people have issues with sex. There are many occupations that are more hazardous then The Porn Star.

[Leave them alone!]

As long as they are adults, why not just leave them alone? There are numerous hobbies, and professions that carry inherent risks. To my knowledge, none of them are entered into by force in this country. Adults in this country make decisions regarding their activities based on the personal returns to them and in doing so make a choice as to the amount of risk they are willing to take. To name a few: mountain climbing, sky diving, riding a bike in traffic, investing in the stock market, driving in the snow, fire fighting, and yes, having unprotected sex. Just because you or I may not be willing to suffer the consequences of participating in those activities shouldn't mean that they should be outlawed, or even worse, regulated by the government. Those who do participate as adults have a choice. They can either educate themselves and make sure that they use the correct methods and equipment to minimize the risk to their safety, or they can throw caution to the wind and reap the benefits of their reckless behavior. So why don't we just leave them alone and let them live their lives. And if we can't bring ourselves to participate or even witness the participation of others in this activity called Life, then maybe we should just take our favorite blanket and go sit in the closet until it's all over.

[Charles Miller]

The news that the adult actress Sasha Grey has contracted the HIV virus has shocked many within the adult entertainment industry. It has not yet been established who infected Sasha Grey but given the extreme nature of her sexual behaviour one must ask why are we so surprised at this news. Sasha Grey is a perspicuous woman and and this may lead one to believe she is intelligent and thus immune from HIV. Sadly Sasha Grey is not the intelligent lady she has made herself out to be. It has been documented that she struggled at school and when she failed to realize her dream of becoming an actress, she was drawn to the porn industry by the offer of money and fame. Sasha Grey's case is all too familiar. she is not the first nor the last young woman to be destroyed by the evil predators of the porn industry.

[Hypatia]

Jonathan, grow the hell up! Porn stars are just like anyone else and this story is so old it has cobwebs. Nice work trying to stir up a story, Times.

[honestrob]

Charles -
I believe the 'Sasha Grey has AIDS" rumours were just that - Rumours.

Have a link to any actual confirmation?

She has continued to make adult films since the initial speculation, so it seems you are incorrectly spreading false rumours to help your argument.

[Irritated observer]

@ Mom from the Valley..

"If a man or woman wants to have sex for money, that doesn't concern you unless you partake of it. If you lack the willpower to avoid such temptation, then take it up with your mythical creator.

As for the "rate of disease transmission in this industry", I don't hear you saying one word about the priests who gave HIV or other STDs to their young victims while the church covered it up and denied it was happening.

Porn stars are having consensual sex... The priests were raping and molesting children. Why don't the sanctimonious opponents of porn and prostitution try CLEANING UP THEIR OWN HOUSE before attacking someone else's?"

And when your child or loved ones child gets raped by some sick pedophile - oh i'm sorry...
Some pedophile MINDING His Business of practicing his Right to Desire whatever the heck he wants...
Will you uphold his freedom and allow him to go about his business ?
The same thing goes for the Priest and so called religious leaders who do the same thing..
Almost ALL cases of such disgusting filthy crimes, were viewers of pornography.

things change when your ever so innocent pornography starts to hit home and affect your life.
I am sure you will want to put the blame on someone at that point.. and your stupid hypocritical argument will fall right on its disgusting face when that does happen.

Though I agree that religious zealots are just as dangerous as any criminal could be- Having- actually I should say OBEYING standards/morals is not some mythical concept - it is a fact of life. When people go about breaking moral laws- they suffer the consequence individually, and they also affect those around them by degrading their standards as well.

Your the dimwit if you support that failing argument.
*sigh*...
forgive me all- for spewing.. I dont have the time to properly place out my words so take them in context of my frustration with this comment...
maybe some other time i'll come back and present this counterargument more fully

[Peter]

While some of you are defending porn, pointing out the obvious that people should have the right to do what they want in their private lives.... remember that porn invades everyone's life in this day and age through email, pop-ups, redirecting websites to pornsites, spreads virus and spyware, etc etc. Sometimes when I'm looking for a legitimate website, pornsites will pop up. And for our children, all it takes is once and I'm sure they will explore the site, find the site's partners, tell their friends about it, etc. Sex is one of the most seductive instant gratifications that we can find online today. It invades our life and our childrens' lives. And if you truly think that is an okay thing, then you're really not worth arguing with.

Of course people love porn. That's why we watch it. We also love our McDonald's hamburgers, but when is the last time you clicked on a website and BAM!! a hamburger was in your lap. Not everything we like is "good" for us. This is definitely one of those things.

Another point.... one could make an arguement for prostitution over pornography. Children can't access prostitutes or strip clubs easily. Porn is everywhere, but you have to drive to a certain place to get a prostitute. Even strip clubs have bouncers who are able to card people to make sure they are of age. What prevents children from accessing porn websites? Usually there is a sentence that says "MUST BE 18 YEARS TO ENTER?"... which only encourages youth to click on it.

Bottom line.... if porn was kept private for viewing that would be one thing. But it's not. It invades our homes and our lives without us asking for it.

[Steve]

Oh my god I how it goes well for the other workers it is such a shame for the persons involed

[Annonymous]

Because of the HIV is going around, they need to stop porn industries because other people get infected. That is why it is not a god idea for people to have sex with anyone that you want. Everyone needs to have sex with the partner that is HIV negative and clean only. Sex is always after marriage with someone who only have sex with you. Sex is always between a heterosexual man and women like marriage.

[Annonymous]

Another thing use comdoms, to prevent diseases and pregancy, but if you plan to have babies, both male and female must be tested first before having sex.