Los Angeles County officials contact porn companies about condoms

Officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services wrote last week to more than 400 adult film producers and directors, asking them to use condoms during the filming of all sex scenes in their movies, the Los Angeles Times reports. The health officials also called for all porn actors to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, which can be spread through sexual contact. "We think this is a matter of worker protection," Jonathan Fielding, director of the county's health department, told the Times. "We don't have the authority to enforce this, so this is our recommendation." State health officials have already taken steps to promote condom use for all anal and vaginal sex scenes. Last month the state division of the Occupational Safety and Health fined two adult film companies $30,560 each for allowing actors to have unprotected sex on the sets of their films. The companies reportedly are appealing the fines. The increased scrutiny of the adult film industry was prodded by reports earlier this year of an HIV outbreak among straight-porn performers. Five were discovered in April and May to be infected with HIV; three of the infections were directly linked to male performer Darren James, who reportedly contracted the virus while shooting an adult film in Brazil. Gay-porn directors Chi Chi LaRue and Tony Alizzi told Advocate.com in April that the HIV outbreak did not affect the gay-porn industry because the vast majority of gay adult film companies already required condom use on their sets.