Comments on: The HIV Outbreak Controversy in Porn Valley Rages Onward http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html Journalist and author Violet Blue's site for sex and tech culture, accurate sex information, erotica and more. Tue, 26 May 2015 17:18:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mitch http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html/comment-page-1#comment-6227 Mitch Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:33:50 +0000 http://www.tinynibbles.com/?p=2691#comment-6227 I'm not sure if I buy Mr Greene's claim that condom related vaginal abrasions cause more health problems than unprotected sex, and I reject the idea that the options are either condom use OR testing. Testing is needed because condoms aren't foolproof, and condoms are needed because testing isn't foolproof. Think of the women who wouldn't be HIV positive today if Mark Wallice had been required to wear condoms. I’m not sure if I buy Mr Greene’s claim that condom related vaginal abrasions
cause more health problems than unprotected sex, and I reject the idea that
the options are either condom use OR testing. Testing is needed because
condoms aren’t foolproof, and condoms are needed because testing isn’t
foolproof. Think of the women who wouldn’t be HIV positive today if Mark
Wallice had been required to wear condoms.

]]> By: Tony Comstock http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html/comment-page-1#comment-6113 Tony Comstock Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:50:53 +0000 http://www.tinynibbles.com/?p=2691#comment-6113 Or to put it another way, let's say your boyfriend got stuck with contaminated needle and then took a PCR test two weeks later and it came up negative. Would you, on the strength of that test, begin having unprotected intercourse with him? If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn't let you. Or to put it another way, let’s say your boyfriend got stuck with contaminated needle and then took a PCR test two weeks later and it came up negative. Would you, on the strength of that test, begin having unprotected intercourse with him? If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t let you.

]]> By: Tony Comstock http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html/comment-page-1#comment-6112 Tony Comstock Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:41:33 +0000 http://www.tinynibbles.com/?p=2691#comment-6112 You're just plain wrong on this, Lux. Read up on what sources outside the sex industry say about the PCR test. The PCR test is a rule in test, not a rule out test. It's used to determine whether early aggressive treatment should begin, not to determine if a person is HIV- http://www.avert.org/testing.htm Even for this novel use of the PCR test, and even allowing 11 days, which is at the very lower threshold of detection for the PCR test, that means the person in question may have been HIV+ up to 11 days <em>before</em> her last negative test. Add to that the 37 days that elapsed before her first positive test, and that's a 45 window at least. At it's very best a recent PCR test that shows HIV- suggests that a previous test was accurate. It says <em>nothing</em> about a persons current HIV status. And of course HIV isn't the only STD, is it? You’re just plain wrong on this, Lux. Read up on what sources outside the sex industry say about the PCR test. The PCR test is a rule in test, not a rule out test. It’s used to determine whether early aggressive treatment should begin, not to determine if a person is HIV-

http://www.avert.org/testing.htm

Even for this novel use of the PCR test, and even allowing 11 days, which is at the very lower threshold of detection for the PCR test, that means the person in question may have been HIV+ up to 11 days before her last negative test. Add to that the 37 days that elapsed before her first positive test, and that’s a 45 window at least.

At it’s very best a recent PCR test that shows HIV- suggests that a previous test was accurate. It says nothing about a persons current HIV status.

And of course HIV isn’t the only STD, is it?

]]> By: Outis http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html/comment-page-1#comment-6111 Outis Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:00:53 +0000 http://www.tinynibbles.com/?p=2691#comment-6111 The LA Times and the Gawker articles were very misleading. From someone in the industry: http://bppa.blogspot.com/2009/06/latest-hiv-in-porn-panic-rumor-control.html Outis The LA Times and the Gawker articles were very misleading.

From someone in the industry:

http://bppa.blogspot.com/2009/06/latest-hiv-in-porn-panic-rumor-control.html

Outis

]]> By: Lux Alptraum http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html/comment-page-1#comment-6109 Lux Alptraum Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:05:53 +0000 http://www.tinynibbles.com/?p=2691#comment-6109 I have to correct you on the 45 day thing. AIM uses PCR testing, which looks for the actual virus, not antibodies (the way Elisa and Western Blot tests do)--and as a result is vastly more useful for detecting recent infections. I believe 11 days is the outer limit for detection in this case. Granted, using condoms is still a better idea, but the situation is not quite as catastrophic as you make it sound. I have to correct you on the 45 day thing. AIM uses PCR testing, which looks for the actual virus, not antibodies (the way Elisa and Western Blot tests do)–and as a result is vastly more useful for detecting recent infections. I believe 11 days is the outer limit for detection in this case.

Granted, using condoms is still a better idea, but the situation is not quite as catastrophic as you make it sound.

]]> By: Tony Comstock http://www.tinynibbles.com/blogarchives/2009/06/the-hiv-outbreak-controversy-in-porn-valley-rages-onward.html/comment-page-1#comment-6108 Tony Comstock Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:59:15 +0000 http://www.tinynibbles.com/?p=2691#comment-6108 The high risk to performers of exposure to STDs in the manufacture of pornography is a simple fact, born out by AIM’s own data. Condoms, the single best way to reduce transmission, the method advocated by all sex educators for those who have sex with partners of unknown STD status is not a choice that is available to performers involved in the manufacture of straight pornography such as you or I would understand the meaning of the word “choice.” But if that’s not reason enough for the “sex-positive community” to rethink its attitudes towards the “adult industry,” consider this. In this latest incidence of HIV in the AIM talent pool, the individual in question went 37 days between tests. Due to the latency inherent in the testing, she may have been HIV positive for as long as 45 day or more before her infection was detected. If this infection had occurred in a male performer there almost certainly would have been secondary infection(s). But more than that, sooner or later an HIV infection is going to cross from second generation to third generation, and instead of 3-5 on-set transmissions, there are going to be 20-30. This day is coming; it’s a statistical certainty. Anyone who thinks differently need only look at how well our nation's finest "risk management experts" sized up their exposure to credit default swaps. And unlike AIG, there will be no government bailout for those effected. Anyone who claims to have a stake in the debate about how sex is treated in our society has to look forward to the eventuality of future outbreaks and ask themselves, “When these HIV outbreaks happen, what do I want my record to look like? What do I want to be on the record as having said and as having done?” The high risk to performers of exposure to STDs in the manufacture of pornography is a simple fact, born out by AIM’s own data. Condoms, the single best way to reduce transmission, the method advocated by all sex educators for those who have sex with partners of unknown STD status is not a choice that is available to performers involved in the manufacture of straight pornography such as you or I would understand the meaning of the word “choice.”

But if that’s not reason enough for the “sex-positive community” to rethink its attitudes towards the “adult industry,” consider this.

In this latest incidence of HIV in the AIM talent pool, the individual in question went 37 days between tests. Due to the latency inherent in the testing, she may have been HIV positive for as long as 45 day or more before her infection was detected. If this infection had occurred in a male performer there almost certainly would have been secondary infection(s).

But more than that, sooner or later an HIV infection is going to cross from second generation to third generation, and instead of 3-5 on-set transmissions, there are going to be 20-30. This day is coming; it’s a statistical certainty. Anyone who thinks differently need only look at how well our nation’s finest “risk management experts” sized up their exposure to credit default swaps. And unlike AIG, there will be no government bailout for those effected.

Anyone who claims to have a stake in the debate about how sex is treated in our society has to look forward to the eventuality of future outbreaks and ask themselves, “When these HIV outbreaks happen, what do I want my record to look like? What do I want to be on the record as having said and as having done?”

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