At least four adult film performers have tested positive for HIV in the past few months, bringing America’s porn industry into emergency lockdown mode until the extent of the infection can be determined. This is all coming just over a year after a syphilis outbreak also sent porn studios into hibernation. And it’ll probably keep happening until adult film studios agree to more mandatory safety regulations for their performers, an issue which is drawing increasing scrutiny. “They’re scared,” AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein told NPR. “It’s beginning to become clearer and clearer that the producers don’t care about them. They thought they were protected, and it’s obvious that this system doesn’t protect them.” Of course, whether or not new safety regulations will do anything to curb the emotional and spiritual damage that comes from the porn industry is another matter …
