Porn Studios Fined For Not Using Condoms

In a rare move, California regulators have fined two porn companies for failing to use condoms on their sets. If some groups have their way, such fines will become more common.

According to the AP, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) fined Larry Flynt’s Hustler video $14,175 for three infractions: failing to provide hepatitis C tests, not having a written policy for injury and illness, and not ensuring condom use. Another studio, Forsaken Pictures, was fined $12,150 for similar issues. The issue of condoms in straight porn (they’re standard in gay porn) has been in the spotlight since an actor tested positive for HIV last year, but condom use remains tough to enforce — according to the AP, “job sites can be difficult to find.” Some of the first fines for lack of condoms were levied in 2004, shocking the porn industry — said Sharon Mitchell, director of the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, “This is a huge departure. This is really like dropping a bomb.” Since then, inspections and fines have become more widespread, but condom use is still by no means standard.

The AIDS Health Care Foundation would like to change that. They were the ones who filed the complaint against Hustler, and last year, they pushed for new regulations that would explicitly require condoms on porn sets. Currently, porn studios are subject to the same workplace health rules that govern hospitals, requiring them to take steps to protect employees from pathogens — but some argue that these rules are still too open to interpretation. On the other side, many in the porn industry object to mandated condom use — performers Stoya and Nina Hartley both argue that regular STD testing is more effective and practical than requiring barrier methods. The debate has raged for a long time, but the latest fines may be a sign that it’s heating up even further.

Hustler Fined $14K For Not Using Condoms In Porn [ABC]

Earlier: The Insider Take On Porn And Condoms

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