Vivid’s Condom Use Under Fire

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More trouble for Vivid after one of it’s porn stars tested positive for HIV last year. In its attempt to shut down porn productions that don’t use condoms on set, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation held a press conference at Vivid’s corporate headquarters to announce the group has filed new complaints against the company with Cal/OSHA.

AHF filed additional Notice of Safety or Health Hazards complaints with regulators over the lack of condoms in adult films produced by Vivid.

“We respect the AHF’s right to freedom of speech,” Vivid founder Steven Hirsch said.

“We do not, however, agree with their point of view.”

Hirsch said that AIM healthcare has worked well for the company and it will continue to support the clinic.

“Our attorney is part of a committee that is working with Cal/OSHA to come up with a reasonable and responsible solution. When that work is complete, we will act appropriately,” he said.

AIDS Healthcare submitted more than 20 Vivid DVDs, filmed under various company brands in which the performers do not wear condoms to support its current worker safety complaints.

AHF said the films demonstrate unsafe behavior in a workplace, as the sexual acts filmed without the use of condoms depict the unprotected exchange of bodily fluids.

AHF filed similar worker safety complaints with Cal/OSHA in August 2009 against 16 California-based adult film companies, including Vivid and Larry Flynt’s Hustler Video.

To date, Cal/OSHA has opened investigations into three of the complaints and is still evaluating and considering additional investigations.

Here’s the problem: stats tend to support the viewpoint that customers don’t want to see condoms in porn. In short, it ruins the fantasy. In LA at least, porn companies require regular testing instead and models must bring their most recent test results before they can get on set.

Gay porn companies aren’t doing this so much – but they do tend to require condom use more often. So which works best, condom use as advocated by the gay film industry, or regular testing as advocated by the straight film industry?