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Porn studios fined for HIV cases

Two Van Nuys, Calif., adult film companies have been fined $30,500 each for allegedly allowing actors to perform unprotected sex, according to the Monterey Herald. The regulatory action marks the first time California has cited adult film sets, Cal-OSHA officials said Thursday.

The citations against Evasive Angles and TTB Productions come following an HIV outbreak earlier this year that resulted from an HIV-infected male actor spreading the virus to three actresses he worked with on the set. The incident forced a temporary shutdown of adult film production in Southern California.

The companies, which share the same address, were cited for violating the state's bloodborne pathogen standard, a regulation that requires employers to protect workers exposed to blood or bodily fluids on the job. The companies have 15 days to appeal the eight citations.

The citations also accuse the companies of failing to notify authorities about actors who contracted HIV on the job, as the law requires. The producers also failed to have a written injury prevention program, agency officials said.

''What this means is that any employer whose workers are exposed to any potentially infectious material, such as semen or vaginal fluids, must follow state regulations covering workplaces,'' said Susan Gard, a spokeswoman for Cal-OSHA, which issued the sanctions Wednesday. ''Any bodily fluid is considered infectious. That means barrier equipment must be used,'' such as condoms.

The citations were the culmination of a months-long investigation of a complaint filed by a porn industry worker whom the agency declined to identify, citing confidentiality.

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