2008 Woodie Awards
The adult film industry brought to its knees
Thomas A. Nickle
Issue date: 4/29/04 Section: Op/Ed
HIV/AIDS. The number one killer worldwide. A lingering death sentence. A breakdown of the body's immune system. An occupational hazard?
Up until about two weeks ago you'd probably never heard of Darren James and there's a chance you still haven't. Darren James was filming a movie in Brazil and unknowingly contracted HIV. This situation in itself is terrifying: one person getting HIV and possibly spreading it to loved ones, or friends, etc. But James, however, is an adult film star. His occupation is to have sex, typically unprotected, with many, many women. James has become a killer.
Twelve performers may have contracted HIV from James and that's just first generation contact. Then you have to add in all the second generation contacts of people who the first generation had performed with after possible infection and so on and so forth. The worst part is that this is only accounting for their business partners -- no number is known of possible amounts of people they infected outside of the industry.
The PCR-DNA tests, used to detect the HIV virus, have proven to be 99.9 percent accurate after a span of 60 days from possible infection. With so many performers on quarantine until that period, the adult film industry seems to be coming to a grinding halt. The question becomes: what to do with adult entertainment?
Lara Roxx, a.k.a. Laura Roxx, Lara Coxx, is an 18-year-old adult film star, who started in the business about three months ago. Roxx contracted HIV from Darren James. Roxx will most likely die, like almost everyone else who contracts HIV. She will probably spend the remaining years of her life ostracized and beyond the consolation of physical contact. Most of us can live with whatever mishaps we made when we were 18 years old. She never will.
It's not that Roxx is completely blameless. She isn't a victim. This is what she chose to do with her life, right? Maybe, but sometimes money can be an incredible motivator, especially at 18 years old.
Up until about two weeks ago you'd probably never heard of Darren James and there's a chance you still haven't. Darren James was filming a movie in Brazil and unknowingly contracted HIV. This situation in itself is terrifying: one person getting HIV and possibly spreading it to loved ones, or friends, etc. But James, however, is an adult film star. His occupation is to have sex, typically unprotected, with many, many women. James has become a killer.
Twelve performers may have contracted HIV from James and that's just first generation contact. Then you have to add in all the second generation contacts of people who the first generation had performed with after possible infection and so on and so forth. The worst part is that this is only accounting for their business partners -- no number is known of possible amounts of people they infected outside of the industry.
The PCR-DNA tests, used to detect the HIV virus, have proven to be 99.9 percent accurate after a span of 60 days from possible infection. With so many performers on quarantine until that period, the adult film industry seems to be coming to a grinding halt. The question becomes: what to do with adult entertainment?
Lara Roxx, a.k.a. Laura Roxx, Lara Coxx, is an 18-year-old adult film star, who started in the business about three months ago. Roxx contracted HIV from Darren James. Roxx will most likely die, like almost everyone else who contracts HIV. She will probably spend the remaining years of her life ostracized and beyond the consolation of physical contact. Most of us can live with whatever mishaps we made when we were 18 years old. She never will.
It's not that Roxx is completely blameless. She isn't a victim. This is what she chose to do with her life, right? Maybe, but sometimes money can be an incredible motivator, especially at 18 years old.
