U.S. porn industry shuts down amid HIV scare

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- No pornography is being made in Los Angeles today -- or anywhere else in the U.S. -- after the adult industry's trade association, the Free Speech Coalition, called for an industry-wide shutdown, on Thursday, after a performer tested positive for HIV.

"There was a positive test at one of our testing centers," the coalition's CEO Diane Duke said in a press release on Thursday. Though Duke said follow-up tests were not yet back, the trade association understandably decided to err on the side of caution and issue a moratorium on all porn production.

"We take the health of our performers very seriously and felt that it was better to err on the side of caution while we determine whether anyone else may have been exposed," Duke said.

Once additional test results are returned, officials will begin formulating a timeline and attempting to identify all other first-generation partners. "We want to make sure all performers are protected. The performers' health and safety is the most important thing," added Duke.

Last summer, three adult film entertainers tested positive for HIV. Porn filming was shutdown for several weeks as industry officials convened to discuss more stringent testing requirements. Filming resumed after the association agreed to testing every 14 days, half the previous 28-day testing interval.

The Free Speech Coalition has been a vocal opponent of the 2012 Los Angeles County law that requires adult film performers to wear condoms. The industry's presence in L.A. has shrunk dramatically since the law went into effect.