Mandatory Condom Use for Porn Stars?
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Hemera/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) — Los Angeles residents may soon vote on whether condom use should be mandatory in the City of Angels’ prolific porn industry.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, an organization that spearheaded the proposal, collected more than 70,000 signatures which were certified by the city clerk on Tuesday. The number of signatures is far more than the 41,000 needed to have the issue considered for city voting.
Under current law, porn stars must test negative for HIV and other STDs within 30 days of filming. Many argue that even the current law should be modified because HIV often does not show up in tests until months after a person contracts the virus.
Many in the adult entertainment industry argue that mandatory condom use would destroy the fantasy associated with pornography.
While LA residents would vote on the issue during the presidential primary in June, the Los Angeles Times reported that the proposal still faces legal challenges. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich filed court documents earlier this month that said the state, not the city, has the only legal authority to impose condom use on porn sets.
But Ellen Widess, head of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, said the proposal is a legal possibility.
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