Health in the Porn Industry
Health is important.
When you’re making porn with people, you want to know they are as safe as possible, and they want to know you are as safe as possible.
This for people new to porn, so I don’t discuss the private clinic options as they are expensive and only used by full time professionals.
It’s all about getting Certs that prove that you are, as safe as possible. Certs are provided by the clinic that tested you and logged your ID.
The TLDR – go to dean.st – book an appointment, telling them you are in porn, at time of test, tell them you want a certificate. Take photo ID with you.
In Birmingham I hear good things about Umbrella
See also the SNAP Clinic Finder
Get Certed, Stay Certed
A Cert is a document that shows you have been tested for STD’s, AND provided Photo ID that has been logged by whoever tested you.
Self Tests are great for your own peace of mind but ARE NOT suitable for porn.
Different clinics have different approaches re what and how they test, but it should list :-
- HIV
- Syphilis
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhoea
- Hepatitis C
Most clinics will NOT provide any document unless you specifically request it. You will need to this at the time of test, and show the person your Photo ID so they can log it.
This way your co-stars will know that it’s YOUR cert and not someone else’s.
Most clinics will text your results. If you request a Cert, it may be printed and posted, it may be held for collection, it may be emailed as a PDF. Each clinic has it’s own approach.
Testing Frequency
Dean Street allows monthly tests, as do most larger (i.e. city) NHS hospitals.
BUT be aware that small hospitals and clinics might not provide such frequent testing. They just haven’t got the money and need to focus on people with symptoms.
All the clinics track your visits, and while the odd short interval might slip through, they will spot abuse and maybe tell you to go elsewhere. (Obviously if you have symptoms that’s different).
Certs are valid for…. people have different views. 1 month is the usual, but some people have a 14 day limit.
When booking work, just tell people your cert date and let them decide if its in date for them. You also ask for theirs.
On set, you show each other your certs.
Some performers, especially busy ones, will want to see that you have been tested for 3 months in succession. This helps reduce the chances of a “window period” infection slipping though. (You can be infected and infectious for some time before you test positive. How long, varies according to disease).
Where to get tested
Dean Street (see TLDR) above is the industry goto – appointments system allows you to plan, they know the industry, fast results and certs on demand (you email in and they send you a password protected PDF, BUT ONLY if you took your ID in and told them you’d need a cert when you got tested).
People travel from all over to use Dean St. It’s a 200 mile round trip for me, but worth it once a month.
Most larger NHS hospitals will also do tests and provide certificates but they are very busy and it can be hard to get appointments so you may have to go to a walk-in (which in my local can mean queuing outside from 7am to 9am, on bloody cold January days…)
Hepatitis B Vaccine
Hep B spreads through bodily fluids esp blood and semen.
There is a vaccine, you can have it for free on the NHS.
It’s a good idea to get it.
HIV, PREP and U = U
If you take PREP you become massively less likely to catch HIV if you are at high risk.
U=U is that people with HIV but who have undetectable levels of the virus in their blood CANNOT infect others. Undetectable=Uninfectious.
I don’t feel qualified to write much about this, but Dean Street would be the place/resource to go to.
What if the results are Positive?
If you test Positive for most STD’s you cannot work until you test negative again, which will be some weeks, (depends upon the disease, the treatment, and your reaction to it).
Take the medical advice provided at the time.
Always have rainy day funds and/or other income (like solo camming).