FSC Clarifies Adult Industry Standards for HIV and Syphilis

CANOGA PARK, Calif.—There has been a great deal of confusion about adult industry protocols for HIV and syphilis. To stem the spread of misinformation, APHSS.org has issued the following comments to clarify the choice of the Trep-Sure syphilis test, with a brief explanation of industry testing for HIV, which recently required the Aptima HIV-1RNA Qualitative Assay test as the standard for performers. In an effort to provide the best and the latest in sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening for performers, our industry standards often exceed the basic requirements of the Center for Disease Control (CDC). A perfect example of this is the CDC’s support of the Rapid Test and even home test kits for HIV. Rather than focus on specific brands of tests, the CDC emphasizes the importance of testing that identifies infections in individuals that are unaware of infection and may have been infected for some length of time. Adult performers are the most tested population for STIs in the country, and so they do not fall into this category. It is for that reason that the type of test included in industry protocol often differs than that of the standard. For example, the CDC recognizes the Elisa/Western Blot as a standard for HIV and supports the Rapid test. Both tests have a three-month window and therefore are not effective for adult performer testing protocols because they will not detect acute (recent) infections. For that reason, our industry has selected the Aptima HIV-1. The Aptima test has a 9-11 day window, as opposed to the ELISA/Western Blot and Rapid test window period of three months. While there were other tests that could identify the presence of HIV with a 9-11 day window, the industry selected this particular test because it was FDA-approved for diagnosis of acute (new) infection. So it is with the new industry standard for syphilis. While the CDC recognizes the RPR as a standard for testing of the mainstream population, the RPR test has a three-month window period and does not detect acute (recent) infections. Therefore, as with HIV, our industry sought out a superior testing alternative. While there are other tests that have window periods less than three months, APHSS chose the newly released Trep-Sure test because it has a 14-day window, a high level of sensitivity and specificity and it is FDA-approved for diagnosis. This test has been added to all panels for APHSS providers and is now the APHSS industry standard for syphilis testing. The Trep-Sure test is available through APHSS.org at these testing facilities: SameDayTest.com, STDStatus.com and Cutting Edge Testing locations in Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. Trep-Sure tests will be added to the monthly testing protocol for all adult performers, effective immediately. If you would like more information about performer testing and the APHSS.org program, please contact Joanne@freespeechcoalition.com or phone (818) 348-9373. The Free Speech Coalition is the national trade organization to the adult entertainment industry. Its mission is to lead, protect and support the growth and well-being of the adult entertainment community.