Porn "Casting Couch" and Health Risks
In the U.S., porn centered around a community of performers within what's been called the circle. That is, performers who voluntarily agree to be tested for STDs/STIs such as HIV regularly. At the time I worked, this was every 30 days and is now every 14 days. They agree to refrain from risky sex acts outside of work so they don't put their fellow performers at risk. This doesn't guarantee safety because there is no such guarantee, but is a precaution. When people who've been with folks from outside of the circle enter the porn industry such as escorts or other types of sex workers, some performers expressed concerns. I cannot speak for everybody, but to me a bigger health and safety concern was the "casting couch" from within the industry. The circle was based largely on an honor system, in which performers voluntarily agreed to abstain from certain risky behaviors. Even if performers were abiding by the agreement, they may still be with ...