The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc.

P.O. Box 13-683 Johnsonville

Media Release 29/10/07

HIV infections in gay 'bareback' shoots

The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc.

P.O. Box 13-683 Johnsonville

Media Release 29/10/07

HIV infections in gay 'bareback' shoots

The Society has highlighted criticisms of the Chief Censor's Office by Steve Crow, the leading distributor of straight porn in New Zealand, regarding its "double standards" in the classification of hardcore gay porn compared to straight porn [1]. Why, asks Crow, has Chief Censor Bill Hastings, an "openly gay man," gone so soft on gay porn - particularly so-called 'bareback porn' - that has been linked with the rise in HIV infection and STIs among the promiscuous homosexual community? The Society, a staunch opponent of Crow's porn business, believes his concerns do deserve serious investigation by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. Rick Barker. Crow states that "perhaps this ["double-standards"] is a direct reflection of the personal attitudes of the Chief and Deputy Chief Censor [Ms Nicola McCully], both of whom are gay." [2]

The proliferation of bareback DVDs and videos available for viewing in steamy gay bathhouses, saunas, cruise clubs and sordid S&M clubs, is of serious concern to health experts such as New Zealand AIDS Foundation's National Campaign Co-ordinator Douglas Jenkin. He says ready access by promiscuous homosexuals to these publications - featuring high risk (condomless-bareback) explicit sex acts - is one of the many factors cited as a reason behind recent increases in HIV infection and the return of the STIs (e.g. syphilis, gonorrhoea) among the homosexual community. [3] Bill Hastings claims he shares these concerns but has done nothing.

According to a recent report [4] in UK magazine Boyz, three young male performers aged 18, 21 and 26, were infected with HIV whilst they were making a British bareback gay porn film. They were filmed having sex with a 26-year old gay porn star who had tested negative to HIV several weeks prior to the shoot, following a standard HIV antibody test, but who it turned out later, had in fact been positive at the time of filming.

Just three days after the porn shoot the 26-year old had undertaken a routine monthly HIV test which produced a positive result. He then alerted the director of the DVD Company, who organised for the three younger porn actors he'd had sex with, to undergo a 48-hour HIV test at a nearby hospital. All three co-stars were shocked to learn from hospital authorities that they had tested positive for HIV. Boyz suggests that the 26 year old who infected his co-stars "didn't allow for the so-called 'window period' - a three month wait before a standard HIV antibody test, used in most clinics in London, will provide an accurate result. Many porn stars use the standard test to certify that they're HIV negative, allowing them a ticket to ride bareback in films which are a rapidly growing part of the gay DVD market." Boyz, quite rightly concludes that the standard 3-month anti-body test for HIV is clearly of little use to porn actors wanting to prove their negative HIV status.

Boyz reports that the porn film will be out before Christmas and will presumably be widely distributed to the homosexual community. "Unsuspecting viewers won't be aware that they're actually watching the [three] young performers being infected with HIV."

The Society demands answers from the Chief Censor as to why such unclassified bareback videos continue to be readily available in New Zealand gay venues for viewing and why those that the minority that are submitted for classification, are always passed for adult viewing without cuts or warnings, despite their glamorisation of unhealthy sex practices (sodomy, rimming, fisting etc.).

References

[1] http://www.spcs.org.nz/2007/aidshiv-crisis-linked-to-gay-porn-censors-attacked-for-double-standards/#more-87

[2] Steve Crow Launches Uncensored Magazine Press Release

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/print.html?path=CU0509/S00070.htm

[3] Safe Sex: Porn debate: Bareback reality bites. By Douglas Jenkin. 27 July 2007. http://www.gaynz.gen.nz/articles/publish/25/article_4682.php

When porn 'fantasy' meets reality. By Matt Akersten. 26 October 2007.

http://gaynz.com/articles/publish/5/article_5140.php

[4] Young porn actors infected with HIV on bareback shot

Thursday 8 October 2007

http://boyz.co.uk/pdfs/843/pdfs/06_BOYZ_In_The_Know.pdf

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