Tuesday, May 3, 2011    Text size: 

CANOGA PARK, Calif. — The Free Speech Coalition said Tuesday that AIM Medical Associates has closed as a result of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's steady campaign against the clinic that served nearly all of the business' performers.

In order to avoid a significant gap in health services for performers, FSC said it has drawn up preliminary strategies to offer options for performer testing protocols.

The FSC board of directors will gather tomorrow for an emergency meeting to consider options.

“It is our understanding that AIM is now closed. Our hearts go out to AIM and its dedicated staff. We know that it has been a very difficult time for them,” FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said. “Rest assured that FSC is committed to making sure that the industry and its performers are well-protected.”

Last Friday, FSC conducted three separate meetings for producers, agents and performers to gather feedback and discuss options with industry stakeholders. The response from those meetings was successful in gathering suggestions from industry members on which options to pursue and for taking action, the FSC said.

AIM has suffered a two-year campaign waged by AHF and is currently a defendant in litigation associated with AHF involving patient medical privacy, the FSC said. 

AIM, which in February changed its name from Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation to AIM Medical Associates as well its regulatory and tax status, once served about 1,200 adult movie performers a month at two clinics in the San Fernando Valley. The clinic has been led by Sharon Mitchell, a former porn star herself, since its founding in 1998

AIM's AimCheck.net database website has been inaccessible to producers and talent since Monday.

FSC has been working with industrial safety regulation agency Cal-OSHA to develop industry-appropriate regulations for adult production sets. The next Cal-OSHA Committee meeting addressing regulations for the adult industry will take place in downtown Los Angeles at the CalTrans Building on June 7.