THE SEX FILES: Update On the HIV Scare In Porn

I don’t know if you’ve been following the recent HIV scare in the porn industry, but about a month ago an adult performer tested positive with HIV. Vivid and Wicked halted production entirely (as of last week they were up and running), but luckily it seems the outbreak was contained. From my sources I learned that it is generally accepted that the infected performer was one of the less popular players, someone who delves into both gay and straight porn but either way, mandatory condom use in adult films became a hot issue again.

At Exxxotica a couple of weeks ago I managed to talk to two performers about how the HIV scare affected them.

First I spoke with Alexa Nicole, a diminutive model/actress who is represented by L.A. Direct Models. Alexa is not a contract girl so I thought her perspective on the scare might be interesting.

“I got a few things cancelled initially,” the beautiful sandy-haired girl began. “They wanted to be very wary, wanted to make sure they didn’t put anyone out there to work when there was an outbreak going on, they wanted to make sure everything was OK. I think I got two shoots postponed and one cancelled, buy they will be rescheduled.

From what I heard they took care of it, tested all the people they thought could have been infected. And now everything is pretty much back on track.”

Next I put the question to Digital Playground’s Jesse Jane. I figured since J.J. is a contract girl, she might have her own spin on what happened.

“Luckily with me being a contract girl with Digital Playground, I shoot five to six movies a year, and then two big digital movies a year; I don’t even shoot a lot,” Jesse told me as we sat side by side on a couch in the Fantasy Island booth at the convention.

“I work with the same people over and over,” she continued, “and before I shoot, and I don’t shoot that often, everybody has to get tested three days before they work with me. So I’m up to date with the status of everyone I shoot with.  Now don’t get me wrong, that’s a very very scary thing, it’s affecting everybody’s lives who are in this industry, so I’m not gonna say that I wasn’t scared and it wasn’t a wake-up call to be extra cautious, but on those generations lists, the first and second generations nobody were on those lists that I had worked with, so that just proves to me why I won’t venture out and work with new people.”

And not wanting to appear all gloom and doom, I did press Jesse about her most favorite haunts in NYC. “I love the food! I have this one pizza spot that’s right next to the Hardrock, that’s super good. Nobody can beat this pizza, its white pizza with cream cheese and ricotta cheese chunked on top, no tomato sauce. I’m so glad they don’t have it in Oklahoma where I live, I’d be so fat!”

So I spin the serious with the sublime, but try to keep it interesting for ya. Either way though, please remember to wear your raincoat if you’re going out in the rain!