“If there’s something we can do, we’re going to find a way to do it,” said Yaroslavsky, one of five Los Angeles County supervisors, whose District 3 is planted in much of adult entertainment hub San Fernando Valley.
Yaroslavsky at Tuesday’s weekly board meeting said he has asked the public county Health Department for a report on the matter and that it should be completed within two weeks.
Yaroslavsky reacted to the issue at hand after hearing public comments the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that the county has failed to protect adult performers from exposure.
The county answered the complaint by suggesting that the public need is “minimal,” because there are only 1,200 adult performers — less than .01 percent of the population.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation also filed formal complaints against 16 local adult companies with Cal-OSHA in order to push for mandatory condom legislation.
In June, an adult actress tested positive for HIV and numerous of her partners were quarantined at the time.
Shortly after, county health officials released data that 18 HIV cases and more than 3,700 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have been reported since 2004 by the AIM Healthcare Foundation.
Prior to Tuesday’s County Board meeting, about 200 letters had been sent to Yaroslavsky, asking him to look into the issue and demand action from the county public health department.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation recently provided a link to email Yaroslavsky about the group’s mission. The headline of the article reads: “Tell Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky That L.A. County Must Enforce Condom Use in Adult Films!”
