Pornographic movie

Pornographic movies appeared shortly after the creation of the movie technology that made them possible. Pornographic films have much in common with other forms of pornography. Pornography is often referred to as "porn" and a pornographic work as "a porno".

AIDS and the industry

With the advent of AIDS in the 1980s there were many deaths among pornographic movie actors. As an attempt to prevent further deaths, the pornography industry instituted a system of testing for HIV. Often the pornography industry does not depict safer sex: mainstream pornographic movies now depict a range of behaviors including anal sex that are high risk activities for STD transmission, as if the taboo status of these activities has made them more thrilling for the consumers of pornography. Anal sex and other similar activities are now part of heterosexual pornography in a way that was unprecedented before the outbreak of AIDS.

Related Topics:
AIDS - 1980s - HIV - Safer sex - Taboo

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The industry's voluntary system involves testing actors once a month for HIV. If the actor does not pass the test, he or she is barred from performing in any more pornographic scenes. While there are actors who perform non-sexual roles in pornographic films, testing HIV-positive would most likely ruin an erotic actor's career.

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In April 2004, an AIDS scare rocked the heterosexual US porn industry when two pornographic actors tested HIV positive in California, the hotbed of US porn production. Following this outbreak, the porn industry voluntarily shut down for 60 days while it tried to deal with the situation. The gay porn industry at the professional level is more adamant about condom usage and thus had less to fear.

Related Topics:
2004 - Heterosexual - Pornographic actor - California

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Three actors testing positive, Darren James, Lara Roxx, and Billy Glide, are barred from further sexually explicit content production as are the approximately 60 other actors and actresses who had contact with them since their previous HIV test. These 60 actors are barred from working until their next round of HIV testing is completed and they are declared HIV negative. At least two more have since been tested positive.

Related Topics:
Darren James - Lara Roxx - Billy Glide

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James most likely contracted HIV while filming a pornographic movie in Brazil and then passed it to Roxx, with whom he had performed a scene. Currently Roxx, 22, is poor and homeless, living with friends. Understandably, she was shocked by the news of her HIV status, believing porn actors to be cleaner than the general public. The status of James is unknown, though he is reported to be in San Diego.

Related Topics:
Brazil - San Diego

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Due to this outbreak, the US government is considering regulating the industry. Some speculative provisions would require the wearing of condoms during sexually explicit scenes. Industry insiders say this would ruin sales of their wares since the unprotected content is one of the selling points of some of their films. They say the wearing of condoms ruins the sexual fantasy of many viewers. Insiders say that such regulation would force the industry off-shore or, more likely, underground, where it would be more prone to health risks for performers. The non-profit Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation is working with the government, trying to develop policies that both the industry and the government would find acceptable.

Related Topics:
Condom - Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation

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