April 13, 2004
Adult Video Health Conference
As I reported last week, Titan Media's stated anti-barebacking policy has unleased a lot of controversy from all sides. Many of the major studios have also made their own policies public, including the studios that specialize in barebacking. The accusations are starting to get nasty, including attorneys from the studios making formal responses.
I predicted this may happen, and made a suggestion to hold a conference on the issue. I suggested that studios should meet each other face to face to come up with some industry-wide policies and practices. Soon after I posted that idea on this site, I received the press release below announcing that a conference was already in the works. It appears that the meeting is open to the public (with an RSVP), but they are also open to input even if you cannot attend.
PRESS RELEASE
April 6, 2004
Dear Adult Industry Production Representative:
I am pleased to invite you to a meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 2003 about worker and public health issues related to the adult film industry. The meeting will be from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, in room 209 at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, a facility of the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. The Village is located at 1125 N. McCadden Place, in Los Angeles (see attached map). This meeting will focus exclusively on health issues and solutions pertaining to adult film productions that involve men having sex with men.
The L.A. County Department of Health Services, acting at the direct request of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and in collaboration with numerous other local and state agencies, is currently reviewing practices and health safeguards already in place in the adult film industry. Based on this information, we will be making policy recommendations and drafting model Illness and Injury Prevention Plans for adult film employers. The aim of this process is to prevent the spread of sexually transmissible diseases among workers within the industry, and from industry workers to their private-life sex partners.
We are committed to working with you, industry workers, producers, and distributors, to develop effective ways to protect worker and community health that also reflect the needs of industry members. To this end, your participation in this process is invaluable. We need your help in understanding current industry work practices, prevention practices, and operations. We need your feedback on various prevention practices we are considering. And we also want you to have an opportunity to meet us, hear more about the process we are engaged in related to adult film, and ask any questions you have.
Please RSVP to Harlan Rotblatt at 213-744-5903, or by email at hrotblat@co.la.ca.us, by Monday, April 19. Representatives from Adult Industry Medical, the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, the Los Angeles City AIDS/HIV Discrimination Unit, and the office of Assemblyman Paul Koretz, 42nd Assembly District and Chair of the Committee on Labor and Employment, will possibly be participating in the meeting. If you cannot attend, I would be pleased to obtain your input in some other manner. Please contact Harlan Rotblatt as above to make the necessary arrangements.
We look forward to seeing you on the 20th.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Kerndt, M.D., M.P.H., Director
Los Angeles County Sexually Transmitted Disease Program
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