THE LOS ANGELES porn industry will now be required to adhere to a new ordinance, signed into law yesterday, which stipulates that adult movie stars must wear condoms during filming.
Permits for shooting adult movies will be given on the condition of obeying the new legislation, the LA Times reports.
Signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa yesterday, the law will take effect in less than two months.
LA’s San Fernando Valley is the capital of the porn industry but bosses have warned that the condom rule may mean they will leave the area and produce their movies elsewhere.
According to the local newspaper, the porn companies claim that adult films featuring condoms do not sell as well.
Steven Hirsch, the co-chairman and founder of adult film company Vivid Entertainment, said his company has a “condom-optional” policy and leaves it up to performers.
“Consumers have said overwhelmingly that they would prefer to watch movies without condoms,” Hirsch said earlier this month.
While over 80 percent of the US porn industry is based in Los Angeles, where performers are regularly tested for sexually transmitted diseases, productions could move to other states or countries due to the condom mandate, he said.
However, health advocacy groups have welcomed the signing of the law. AIDS Healthcare Foundation welcomed the move but noted that there is still no clear plan for enforcing the rule.
The group added that it would now seek similar rulings in other jurisdictions.
“The city of Los Angeles has done the right thing. They’ve done the right thing for the performers,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which had pushed the measure for six years.
He said its adoption is crucial in protecting adult film actors from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Last August, porn sets across LA were shut down over a HIV scare. Every adult film performer must be tested every 30 days and a database is kept for producers and actors.
-Additional reporting by AP
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