LOS ANGELES — If California eventually starts to enforce mandatory condom use on porn sets, then the majority of producers will simply go elsewhere to shoot, according to the results of a new research poll conducted by adult entertainment news media organization XBIZ.
Most in the industry say that mandating condom use for adult films is “unrealistic,” according to the poll. The results are based on opinions of members of XBIZ.net, the adult entertainment industry’s top social network.
XBIZ asked community members, “What do you think of the ‘mandatory condoms in porn’ proposition in California?
XBIZ found that 64.7 % of respondents say, “Unrealistic, productions will just move outside of California.” Another 21.7 % say, “Good idea, it will significantly improve performer health and safety,” and 13.6 % say, “Bad idea, it will not improve performer health and safety significantly.”
Cal/OSHA maintains that so-called “barrier protection,” described as a condom or other physical block that prevents the passage of blood and OPIM-STI to another person, is necessary and already the state’s standard.
In one of the most talked-about confrontations between the industry and state officials over barrier protection, more than 100 performers and producers on June 7 clashed with a Cal/OSHA advisory panel at a public meeting in L.A., where they voiced their concerns about the proposed changes to the state’s health code as it relates to workplace safety regulations in porn.
Currently, Cal/OSHA is still in the process of deciding whether to move forward with the draft proposal. If the agency decides to move forward, the draft will be sent to the Standards Board and public hearings will be held.
Many in the industry have suggested that enforcing a condom mandate is impractical.
Then there are studio executives such as Scott Taylor, president of New Sensations/Digital Sin, who sees a simple solution if the state starts to enforce condom use.
“We will move all non-condom shoots out of California, no problem,” Taylor told XBIZ.
John Stagliano, the veteran director and founder of Evil Angel, said he also thinks a mandate is not realistic.
"Yes some porn will move, human beings cannot change what turns them on just because the government enacts a regulation," Stagliano said. "People will still seek out porn made with no condoms, and other people will figure out a way to deliver that to them. Performers will be in a worse position with mandatory condoms because L.A. developed a good infrastructure to test for diseases. That may not happen as well in other places."
Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment, also pointed to the effective mechanism for testing talent for STIs that is already in place in California.
"Our position remains the same,” Hirsch said. “We are a condom-optional company and we believe the current testing procedure works or we would absolutely mandate condoms."
