SURVEY: HIV Status "Rarely" Discussed on Gay Porn Sets

Stars request info about scene partners, other STD risks; many fear blacklisting, reprisals
February 26, 2008

A majority of gay adult film stars rarely or never discuss their HIV status with prospective scene partners, despite the fact that nearly 30% percent of models are either HIV positive or don't know their HIV status. In an anonymous survey conducted by TheSword.com over the past few weeks of nearly one hundred performers, porn stars voiced a multitude of concerns over the secrecy they find endemic on sets, expressing nervousness about possible blacklisting and fears of being labeled 'difficult' for inquiring.

"While knowledge of issues regarding HIV positive models is a concern on the production side of the business, it seems that it isn't always being communicated to the models," said Michael Stabile who conducted the survey as Editor of The Sword. "In comments we received in association with the survey it was clear that many models feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to keep their status private. Others feel that they can't ask about partners."

The survey was prompted by a renewed and intense discussion within the gay porn industry over the safety of testing alone after bareback studio Hot Desert Knights announced a partnership with industry testing center AIM. Nearly seventy percent of the respondents said they would never do a bareback scene, while 21% said they'd be open to it if they were tested and sorted according to HIV status. Even on condom-using shoots, performers wanted more information.

"I really wish that the HIV status of the people I was working with was disclosed to me before working with them," said one performer. "I have been on shoots where, afterwards, I was told by someone else that my partner was positive. I feel that I'm almost being betrayed by the company that I am signed with, because I feel like information like that is important to my health. It's times like that that make me wonder if the studio that is supposed to be my 'family' really cares about me."

Despite the concerns of the respondents, over 80% agreed that condom-using studios do a good job of protecting performers from HIV on set. However, barely half of the performers surveyed felt that those same studios did as good a job protecting models from other STDs, however, with respondents citing rimming, oral cum-shots and a lack of testing as major concerns.

"When we started out with this survey, we were unaware how readily people would participate," said Stabile. "Studios, agents, directors and models all helped get respondents. The numbers that we've gathered are interesting, but we need to find out more - both in depth and in terms of methodology. What we've done here is merely to get the discussion started."

The full text of the survey is available on TheSword.com.

http://www.thesword.com/2008/02/porn-stars-call-for-more-discussion-of-hiv-stds.html

CONTACT:
Michael Stabile
Editor, TheSword.com
michael@thesword.com
415.538.9000 x115

About TheSword.com
TheSword.com is an online magazine covering the gay porn industry and the more sexually progressive aspects of gay culture. It launched in January 2008 as a non-hardcore, media-rich of shoot of hardcore gay video-on-demand site NakedSword.com. In addition to writing about gay porn culture, TheSword.com works with studios, stars and consumers to produce videos for and about the gay porn industry.

NakedSword Press Contact
Jack Shamama, Product Manager
Jack@NakedSword.com
415.538.9000 ext. 112

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