‘Rolling Stone’ Explores How Porn Industry Copes With Coronavirus

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide topped 100,000 on Friday, and the death toll from the outbreak in the United States reached 14. But as large public gatherings, such as the South By Southwest arts and music festival in Austin, Texas, announce cancellations, the porn industry—which obviously also involves close contact among people, possibly spreading the virus—has also been affected. On Friday, Rolling Stone magazine took a deep dive into how the adult industry is coping with the coronavirus outbreak. Though the virus is not classified as a sexually transmitted disease, it is contracted through contact with saliva or mucus from an infected person—meaning that any type of oral contact, or even just a sneeze in close quarters, could pass on the virus from one porn performer to another. “When you’re looking at a sexual situation where there’s lots of physical contact, there’s a lot of fluid exchange and saliva exchange, so I imagine that would be a great concern,” director and Adult Time Chief Creative Officer Bree Mills told the magazine. “For the most part we’re in a purgatory state like everybody else.” The Hollywood film industry has already responded by shutting down production of the Tom Cruise action vehicle Mission Impossible VII, which was filming in Italy. Other than China, where the virus is believed to have originated, no country has suffered more fatalities from coronavirus than Italy, with 108 as of Thursday. European porn studios have also placed holds on new shooting, according to Rolling Stone. But in the United States, the response from the adult film community so far has mainly been one of increased caution. “I believe it is imperative to remain positive,” performer Sarah Vandella told the magazine, adding that porn performers and producers should “be as health-conscious as we are while maintaining impeccable hygiene to prevent the spread of germs.” But because porn performers in general are freelancers, often without adequate health insurance and needing to work simply to generate their necessary income, Rolling Stone reporter E.J. Dickinson noted, they may be under increased pressure to show up on set even if they feel ill. “When you’re working for yourself, you have to put yourself first just to survive,” performer Giselle Palmer said. “I’ve come into work and my scene partner has looked sick or had a cold sore. It’s definitely not an uncommon occurrence.” With Los Angeles County, California—where the largest amount of professional porn in the U.S. is filmed—under a medical state of emergency with 13 cases reported as of Friday, adult industry trade group Free Speech Coalition issued an advisory March 6, with guidelines for avoiding coronavirus transmission on porn sets.  Do not push people to work who have called in sick. We recognize that a change in cast or crew may cause a delay or additional expenses while shooting, but the consequences of people getting sick on set are a much greater risk both in terms of health and finances. Do not allow anyone who is visibly ill on set. Send talent or crew home—and make this policy clear prior to shooting. Ensure sets are thoroughly cleaned prior to shooting. This should be standard practice regardless, but be additionally prudent in making sure all surfaces that cast or crew come into contact with have been sanitized. Film extra content. Try to build a stockpile of content now, understanding that filming could eventually be impacted by the virus. FSC said that it is “prepared to respond” if coronavirus rises to the level of an “epidemic” in the U.S. The group is “monitoring guidance from public health departments” in the Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Miami areas. “If the public health authorities in one of these areas indicates that the spread of the virus has created a significant risk of infection to the general population, we will issue a production hold in that jurisdiction until public health authorities have indicated that it is safe,” the FSC statement said.  Photo By Owen65 / Wikimedia Commons