CANOGA PARK, Calif. – Free Speech Coalition announced Saturday that an HIV test for “Patient Alpha,” administered by an APHSS.org testing facility, has been returned with negative results.
FSC stressed that while test results indicate a negative result for the patient, follow-up testing is appropriate in this case.
Saturday's development comes on the heels of a week of speculation and controversy surrounding the possibility that an active male adult performer had tested positive for HIV in Florida.
FSC on Sunday called for an industry-wide moratorium on productions as a precautionary measure while it worked with APHSS to confirm whether the performer in question, or "Patient Alpha," was indeed positive and whether other peformers may have been exposed. That moratorium was almost universally observed by adult industry producers.
Further confirmation on Patient Alpha's status did not come until today's announcement, in spite of various unconfirmed reports that fueled speculation to the contrary during the past week.
“This is good news for the primary patient, the industry will continue to be abundantly cautious as we try to nail down the reasons for what now appears to have been a false positive result on a previous test,” FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said. “After discussion with our medical expert, he has advised that it would be appropriate for production to resume and the focus of attention brought to those who had worked with the performer. That group is already receiving care.”
Duke continued, “FSC/APHSS.org will narrow the circle of caution to focus our concern on the group of people who had worked with the performer. Our prayers and utmost empathy go out to the performer in what has been a very difficult period.”
Duke continued, “Industry self-regulation and best practices are alive and well in the adult entertainment industry - and they work. We fully understand that it is vitally important for the adult performers have a place to go that is safe, trusted and transparent.”
The HIV controversy prompted the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to call a press conference on Wednesday in which it was critical of both the FSC and adult production company Brazzers about their handling of the situation.
The FSC on Wednesday said it had been falsely accused by AHF of obstructing a medical investigation by the Los Angeles County Public Health regarding the case. In addition, FSC said AHF had falsely accused it of withholding information from public health authorities and demanded a retraction of both statements.
Manwin, parent company of Brazzers, also demanded a retraction from AHF for the allegations it made during the same press conference about Brazzers' alleged involvement with Patient Alpha.(story)
