After five years of public hearings and heated debates, a proposed set of health and safety standards for all California porn production sets is edging closer to being finalized, but adult film performers say if passed, the new regulations would make sex
scenes look like medical dramas. The 21-page draft, proposed by the state's Division of Occupational Safety and Health, blends thick regulatory definitions with graphic language as it outlines how adult film performers and others on set can protect
themselves from bloodborne pathogens and other bodily fluids. It underscores the use of condoms as a way to protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. During a hearing and public comment period, adult film performers and their
supporters said the regulations which include wearing protective eye gear go too far. Diane Duke, CEO of the Free Speech Coalition, said: These are regulations designed for medical settings, and are unworkable on an
adult film set, or even a Hollywood film set,
Duke said her organization and several other groups would prefer to see the proposed regulation amended with input from both performers and public health officials, in ways that protect
adult film performers without stigmatizing and shutting down an entire industry. |