Porn Stars More Likely To Have STDs Than Nevada Prostitutes, Study Says; Gonorrhea, Chlamydia Could Be Prevented By Mandatory Condom Use

A new report has found that sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea are more common among porn stars in Los Angeles than prostitutes working in Nevada.

The study, written by six health professionals from UCLA, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, questioned 168 adult film stars and found that 47 performers (28-percent) tested positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea or both. The Los Angeles Times reported that the study ran from mid-May to mid-September 2010.

The researchers wrote that many porn stars may be unaware of their infections because they are normally only tested via urine tests, ignoring the possibility of infections in their rectum, mouth and throat.

“The results of this study suggest that many performers in the [adult film industry] are not safe on the job from acquiring and transmitting STIs [sexually transmitted infections] at multiple anatomical sites,” the report said. “Repeated and chronic infection with STIs can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancies, and can facilitate HIV infection.”

The numbers are much lower among sex workers in Nevada than among L.A. porn stars because the prostitutes that work legally are required by the state to be tested once a week and to use condoms during sexual encounters. The legislation could be replicated in Los Angeles on Nov. 6 when Californians vote on Measure B, which would require porn stars to wear condoms during adult film work. The industry has been vocal in its opposition to the bill, citing customer preferences.

“The report clearly shows that current testing practices miss two-thirds of active gonorrhea and chlamydia infections,” Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a UCLA professor of medicine and a former director of STD prevention, told the Los Angeles Times. “What that says is that the current testing is grossly inadequate, and testing plus condoms is a reasonable strategy to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections.”

In August, the adult industry temporarily stopped production because of a syphilis outbreak among performers. The New York Daily News reported that a male performer calling himself Mr. Marcus falsified his test results in an attempt to avoid being blacklisted from the industry.

Porn stars have spoken out against Measure B, claiming condoms cause chafing and open wounds making a performer more susceptible to infections. Desert News reported that adult performers cited MMA fighters bleeding on each other as evidence that the adult industry was unfairly being made into a scapegoat. Others said they trust their fellow actors and Measure B would harm the business of the porn world and push it into the underground.