Press Telecon TODAY: AHF Responds to Porn Industry Attacks

Press Teleconference at 11:15 AM TODAY—AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein to Address False Claims By Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, “Fig Leaf” for the Porn Industry

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a press teleconference today at 11:15 AM to respond to baseless claims by Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM) after AHF renewed its call for enforcement of condom-use on set in the wake of a performer testing HIV-positive. AHF has been leading efforts to improve industry safety by advocating for the enforcement of condom-use on all adult film sets.

“Protecting the health of adult film performers and the public at large is AHF’s only goal in advocating for on-set condom use—already required, by the way, by current Cal OSHA regulations”

“Protecting the health of adult film performers and the public at large is AHF’s only goal in advocating for on-set condom use—already required, by the way, by current Cal OSHA regulations,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “The porn industry’s self-regulation by AIM has clearly been a complete failure and now they are looking for someone to blame. Up until recently AIM was not even a licensed healthcare facility.

Added Weinstein, “At this point, if the porn industry truly cares about the health of performers, all porn production companies should suspend production and AIM should be doing everything in its power to contain this latest outbreak and cooperate full with public health authorities. The only responsible thing to do in the wake of this tragic incident is for the industry to mandate on set condom-use in all future production.”

WHAT:	Press Teleconference
WHEN:	TODAY, THURSDAY, October 14^th 11:15 AM Pacific
HOW:	Teleconference number: 1-877-411-9748, Access Code: 7931503
WHO:	Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation
	Brian Chase, Assistant General Counsel, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
CONTACTS:	Lori Yeghiayan, [phone], [e-mail]
	Ged Kenslea, [phone], [e-mail]

In an article today about the recent HIV outbreak (More porn productions shut down amid concern over HIV, By Molly Hennessy-Fiske) and referring to AIM, the Los Angeles Times reported: “… the Sherman Oaks clinic on Wednesday blasted AIDS activists and public health officials for using the incident to renew calls for mandatory condom use and added oversight of the porn industry. ‘The misfortune of a patient testing positive for HIV has been turned into a tragic farce by the efforts of groups to exploit the patient for their political and financial gain,’ AIM said in a statement.”

ALL DAY Media Availability	Michael Weinstein [phone]
	Brian Chase [phone]

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 138,000 individuals in 23 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. www.aidshealth.org