A 25-year-old male adult porn star in California, identified as “patient A,” regularly underwent HIV testing and had always tested negative. But he still ended up infecting two men, in addition to another adult-film star and a non-industry related partner.
According to MD Magazine, “patient A” tested negative for HIV in 2014, and during the next 22 days, had unprotected sex with 17 people who came from seven U.S. states and four countries. Then an HIV test came back positive. Further testing showed patient A probably infected all four of the identified victims less than a month after their sexual encounters with him.
The cases underscore the need for extra vigilance in the porn industry and in others who may be at high risk for HIV infection to take multiple precautions to prevent HIV infection. People may not realize this, but testing cannot detect the presence of the virus within 14 days of infection.
“Adult film performers and production companies, medical providers, and all persons at risk for HIV should be aware that testing alone is not sufficient to prevent HIV transmission,” the CDC states, reports Newser.
In the CDC’s statement, the agency recommended the porn industry promote the use of condoms, regular HIV testing and the use of antiviral drugs, like emtricitabine/ tenofovir (Truvada/Gilead), a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), for performers at risk from an HIV infection.
In a press release, the president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation says, “the porn industry’s HIV and STD testing protocol ‘failed’ in this case, as the CDC confirmed this HIV infection did, in fact, occur on set.”
To read the full CDC report, “Occupational HIV Transmission Among Male Adult Film Performers — Multiple States, 2014,” go to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), February 12, 2016.