With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Our Porn Stars Get STD's at 'significantly higher' Rate Than Hookers in Nevada

As the November 6 vote approaches, bringing with it L.A. County's controversial Measure B, that would require adult film stars to wear condoms on the job, a new study shows our porn performers get more sexually transmitted diseases than prostitutes in Nevada.
"The report was written by six public health experts, whose affiliations include the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and UCLA," explains L.A. Now.
Conducted in 2010, the study that looked at "168 adult film performers in Los Angeles County found that 28%, or 47 performers, tested positive for either gonorrhea or chlamydia or both diseases."
From the report:
"Compared with the brothel workers of Nevada, another legal sex worker population in the United States, [gonorrhea] and [chlamydia] prevalence in this study is significantly higher."
And why is this? Well, brothel workers in Nevada are covered by a state law that mandates condom use and weekly testing. "Since those rules went into effect in Nevada, there have been no cases of HIV infection, and their infection rates were negligible," elaborates L.A. Now, using information from the report.
The official conclusion of the report from the abstract offers a subtle endorsement of Measure B:
Adult film industry performers had a high burden of STIs. Undiagnosed asymptomatic rectal and oropharyngeal STIs were common and are likely reservoirs for transmission to sexual partners inside and outside the workplace. Performers should be tested at all anatomical sites irrespective of symptoms, and condom use should be enforced to protect workers in this industry.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
-
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.
-
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence.
-
This is the one time you can do this legally!
-
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
-
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.