After all, responsible adults know condoms protect against a litany of life-threatening diseases. Porn performers have more sex with more people; so surely they have more need to use condoms. But some of the biggest names in porn are against mandating condom use -- despite being the ones at risk. What’s their reasoning? Porn: It’s a Dirty Job The condom question arises because sex gets messy. Working in porn, performers have frequent exposure to sweat, semen and ‘santorum’ (Google it!). As a result, bacteria and viruses spread between performers faster than kooties at daycare -- making porn a high-risk occupation. That risk was proven in 2004,when performer Darren James tested positive for HIV. In the window between tests, he’d had sex with 12 performers, who then exposed another 22. Within 30 days, the circle of exposure had spread so fast it lead to a virtual shut down of porn production, and by the end, it was revealed that James had infected three female performers. It demonstrated how dangerous a single infected performer could be in the ‘porn pool.’ Put a Rubber On It Critics attacked the porn industry, demanding mandatory condom usage and beyond. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health even petitioned for latex gloves and eye protection (medical fetishists were thrilled!). But the porn industry argued it was already self-regulated -- and the Darren James HIV tragedy proved the system worked. Via http://www.alternet.org/module/feed/mobile/?storyID=150361&type=story
