Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation
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The Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation (AIM) is an organization which tests erotic actors for HIV and other STDs on a scheduled basis.
Most tests for the sex industry actors are done at the Foundation's offices in the San Fernando Valley, in Sherman Oaks and Granada Hills.[1] Each month, about 1,200 actors are tested for HIV, with results as early as 14 days after infection. This test is effective ten days after potential infection, and anytime thereafter (HIV-1 DNA, by PCR) as compared to the alternative HIV test (HIV Elisa) which requires a six month waiting period to be effective.[2] Other tests include such STDs as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.[3]
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[edit] Background
Since the 1980s, an outbreak of AIDS, aside from the general populace, has also caused a number of deaths of erotic actors.
The Director of the AIM Health Care Foundation, Dr. Sharon Mitchell, a former erotic actor, left the industry in 1996 to qualify in public health counseling and sexology before setting up the Foundation in 1998.[4]
The Foundation has helped set up a system in the U.S. where erotic actors in the adult film industry are tested for AIDS every 30 days. All on-camera sexual contact is logged, and a positive test result triggers the contacting and re-testing of all sexual partners during the previous three to six months.
[edit] SxCheck
Since 2006, AIM offers online services for selecting, scheduling, and paying for tests in affliation with local clinics and laboratories in many cities via the SxCheck (alternatively AIM Check) website.[5]
Also, with secure online access to test results, the faking of paper test results are avoided, since clients can select to privately share the results with others, as appropriate, either online, or by email and mobile phone.[6]
[edit] History
This system has resulted in low rates of HIV transmission, and hence low rates of infection among erotic actors: reportedly, not a single HIV test had been positive in the four year period prior to 2004.
It was in 2004 that AIM assisted in the sex film industry shutdown, a quarantine that lasted less than 60 days.[1] A male performer, Darren James, tested positive for HIV in April and, to prevent another HIV outbreak, an urgent search was initiated for his potentially infected partners.[4] A total of four more performers, Bianca Biaggi, Jessica Dee, Lara Roxx, and Miss Arroyo were diagnosed with the virus by the end of the testing rounds, including one unrelated case in New York.[7] James had apparently had contact with 12 women since his initial negative HIV test in March upon his return from a Brazil shoot.[8][9]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Nick Madigan (2004-04-17). H.I.V. Cases Shut Down Pornography Film Industry. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ Test Selection — Comprehensive Panel — HIV/AIDS Premium Test. =SxCheck.
- ^ Sharon Mitchell (2004-05-02). How to Put Condoms in the Picture. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ a b Nick Madigan (2004-05-10). Voice of Health in a Pornographic World. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-02-26. “
Sharon Mitchell — Well-behaved women rarely make history” - ^ Sharon Mitchell. Ask Dr Mitch. SxCheck.
- ^ About SxCheck — Physical Barriers. Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation.
- ^ Nick Madigan (2004-04-30). New H.I.V. Infection Found in Sex-Film Industry. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ Gene Ross (2007-05-27). Lara Roxx Timeline Begs Questions: Darren James got it from Lara Roxx, not the other way around?. Adult FYI.
- ^ Pyramid of potential infection. Los Angeles Times (2004-04-16). “Time line of potential first and second generation infections”
[edit] External links
- Official website at AIM
- Reference Library at AIM
- Granada Hills, CA AIM office
- Sherman Oaks, CA AIM office
- SxCheck STD and HIV testing facilitator website service
