You may have heard about the recent filming permit tussles by the Los Angeles City Council requiring condoms on all adult sets. . . This is part of a bigger debate involving CAL/OSHA and brought about by complaints stemming from a group called AHF. I’ll leave the google search on AHF to you as I don’t want to give them any free publicity. What I will say is that it is a well funded group of AIDS activists that seem to think they know more about every porn performers bodies than the porn performers do themselves!

It is true that according to CAL/OSHA regulations concerning workplace safety, condoms are to be worn during intercourse scenes in adult video. There are many impassioned debates taking place between porn industry members and CAL/OSHA to come up with adult-centric guidelines concerning condom use, and it will take years for any regulations of this type to be agreed upon and more time to actually go into effect.

The adult industry has done a very good job of protecting the performers from HIV and AIDS due to the testing standards the industry voluntarily imposed upon itself. Yes, there have been cases where a performer has come up positive on an HIV test, and the entire industry knows what to do when it happens: The test-positive performer is removed from the talent pool and their partners are tested to make sure the disease is not passed on to others. Most professional production companies shut down filing or switch to less risky scenes, such as girl on girl and blow jobs until the testing process is completed and the okay is given to resume shooting. And regardless of whether the question is to wrap or not to wrap that penis on a porn shoot, the testing standards will likely still be in play in the porn industry.

In the meantime, the City of LA is trying to put regulations into effect that would mean adult productions that are not using condoms would not be allowed to register for filming permits to produce content.

What does this mean to you as a new porn producer, or to existing porn producers for that matter? Not much really. But what you do need to know, is that only by working with experienced industry professionals will you be able to learn how to get permits, shoot legally without permits and what your rights and responsibilities are as a producer in considering to take either route.