http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/22/whats-all-the-fuss-its-just-hardcore-p-rn/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:58:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/22/whats-all-the-fuss-its-just-hardcore-p-rn/#comment-22146 Anon Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-22146 STI rates are rising in the community, probably partly through the advent of this kind of new media, and you notice that the 'Health Protection' and 'STI Prevention' Units of State and Federal govt depts are never present. There are no safe sex warnings. There should probably be a sticker on the front of every pr0n DVD sold -- often on mail order from Canberra -- saying (apart from XXX or R) 'this film contains acts of unsafe sex' -- given that there are a multitude of risk factors with the fictional narratives depicted -- unprotected sex with strangers, group sex, and unsafe practices. It's basically germ-swapping, and something like 60% of pr0n stars have genital herpes, and as one health educator said, 'they are up to their asses in chlamydia because it sticks to everything'. This would be a great opportunity to educate the public more about the rising rates of chlamydia, of the 1 in 8 infection rate of genital herpes in Australia (1 in 6 among women, who disproportionately carry the burden of STIs), of the dangers of HPV, of the rise in rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea, and the ever present spectre of HIV/AIDS. Where are the TV campaigns? The stands at Sexpo? The informative ads in girls and lads magazines? Nary a word. What are the ever-anxious Ministers and their health departments doing? STI rates are rising in the community, probably partly through the advent of this kind of new media, and you notice that the ‘Health Protection’ and ‘STI Prevention’ Units of State and Federal govt depts are never present. There are no safe sex warnings. There should probably be a sticker on the front of every pr0n DVD sold — often on mail order from Canberra — saying (apart from XXX or R) ‘this film contains acts of unsafe sex’ — given that there are a multitude of risk factors with the fictional narratives depicted — unprotected sex with strangers, group sex, and unsafe practices. It’s basically germ-swapping, and something like 60% of pr0n stars have genital herpes, and as one health educator said, ‘they are up to their asses in chlamydia because it sticks to everything’. This would be a great opportunity to educate the public more about the rising rates of chlamydia, of the 1 in 8 infection rate of genital herpes in Australia (1 in 6 among women, who disproportionately carry the burden of STIs), of the dangers of HPV, of the rise in rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea, and the ever present spectre of HIV/AIDS. Where are the TV campaigns? The stands at Sexpo? The informative ads in girls and lads magazines? Nary a word. What are the ever-anxious Ministers and their health departments doing?

]]> http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/22/whats-all-the-fuss-its-just-hardcore-p-rn/#comment-22147 Neil Walker Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-22147 Good point Anon. Belladonna actually temporarily retired from the porn business in late 2007 after a big STD scare but you won't hear her being questioned on that by the Aussie media. It's a side of the industry that isn't publicised at all with the media happy to continue to promote the 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' aspect of the porn industry only. The Govt won't do anything about an STI awareness campaign unless the media reports on it. Which doesn't look like happening while Sexpo's guests - Belladonna & Bobbi Starr - get such uncritical, positive coverage. The Australian in print & The Age online and SBS online are just some of the media outlets who ran with the "Sexpo offers half-price tickets to Pilgrims" media release in a jokey manner today. Good point Anon. Belladonna actually temporarily retired from the porn business in late 2007 after a big STD scare but you won’t hear her being questioned on that by the Aussie media. It’s a side of the industry that isn’t publicised at all with the media happy to continue to promote the ‘nudge, nudge, wink, wink’ aspect of the porn industry only. The Govt won’t do anything about an STI awareness campaign unless the media reports on it. Which doesn’t look like happening while Sexpo’s guests - Belladonna & Bobbi Starr - get such uncritical, positive coverage. The Australian in print & The Age online and SBS online are just some of the media outlets who ran with the “Sexpo offers half-price tickets to Pilgrims” media release in a jokey manner today.

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