The key survey areas included attitudes to the adult industry, health issues for performers and awareness and role of AITA.

This survey was commissioned as over the last three there has been a reduction in membership numbers and we needed to have a clearer picture of what members and the industry at large want from a trade association so that we could if possible reverse the membership trend.

With regard the role of AITA the three most important aspects were considered to be Raising Industry Standards, Lobbying and Networking events.

Other key results.

• Awareness: 60% of non members respondents are aware of AITA, with only 11% previously unaware of the organisation before taking the survey.
• Relevance: Whilst nearly 64% of overall respondents feel that an organisation such as AITA is relevant in the adult industry, only 32% feel that AITA itself is an effective voice for the industry.
• Performer Services: Performers were asked how important selected services were: whilst some (medical assistance) were more vital than others and the AITA/ UKAP health protocols were overwhelmingly supported.
• 53% felt the biggest threat to the adult industry is itself.
• 61% agree that effective self-regulation is required by the UK adult industry to prevent future legislation being passed.

With the limited resources available to AITA, it did not come as a surprise to learn that the majority of current members felt that AITA is underperforming in its provision of key services when considering their relative importance.

It is clear that this cannot be addressed without a significant injection of cash. AITA has significantly reduced it’s running costs over the last three years, however with corresponding decreasing subscriptions it has been running at a significant loss since at least 2010.

Due to the lack of ongoing support for AITA from the general UK adult industry, and after much deliberation the Committee believes that it is no longer tenable for AITA to continue after the end of the membership year (March 31^st) and all Committee members will resign on that date and the company closed down.

The committee would like to thank all members for their support over the years. As individuals they will continue to work to support the UK adult industry where they can, offering ongoing advice in their particular area of expertise and continuing to network at adult industry events.

A lively discussion was had by those that turned up to this meeting with points raised regarding the recent syphilis scare which have been taken onboard by AITA.

We were also pleased to have NHS health advisors at the meeting to discuss testing options and give us a better insight to the service the NHS offer the UK adult industry.

It was agreed that there is need for health protocols and standard testing standards within the UK adult industry and that ideally AITA would be best placed to manage and oversee the implementation of these new standards.

AITA will be talking with UKAP, producers and performers to develop the needs of the industry and welcome input from all. We also have meetings planned with BASHH.org of the NHS and will also be meeting with a number of private clinics to draw up the new standards.

Once these new standards have been drawn up, they will be presented to the industry for further feedback and review with a view to implementing asap.

In these changing and difficult times for the global adult industry, it is important that we are seen to self regulate to the highest level or we will find regulation imposed upon us. This is your livelihood, so we are asking for the full support of the UK adult industry in moving this and other important issues forward with some urgency.

Adult Entertainment and content is mostly promoted and provided by utilizing the global internet. ATVOD remain of the view that a local solution, by forcing Age Verified Services for any UK based or managed business, will be sufficient and we have proven on many occasions, with the proliferation of content available outside the UK, that their current remit fails to achieve anything, other than unfairly bias and harm UK individuals and businesses who have always conformed to rules and regulation.

AITA will continue perusing a considered legal option of ATVOD’s alleged outreach and unfair tactics, whilst collaborating with our colleague’s world wide to provide a more fulfilling solution, which allows all companies in this market sector to be treated equally.

Along with the draft protocols we recently published on the AITA website, we will discuss any further options to improve the health of the industry and what standard practices performers and producers wish to adopt.  We will have a member of the NHS BASHH committee to discuss ways in which we can work closer with the NHS and the testing needs of the industry. This meeting is set up for you, the performers and producers of the UK adult industry, you have a chance to have your say in your health needs.

Make sure your you attend!

For more details see the events area with this site or the AITA Facebook event page

All potentially affected performers were notified, and were sent for testing which have fortunately come back negative.  These performers are also due to break from filming until such a time as they can be satisfactorily cleared by medical staff as having definitive negative results. This case was an isolated infection and no outbreak of any kind has been noticed or reported, and therefore no moratorium or industry wide halt in filming is advised nor necessary.  AITA however feels it necessary to re-iterate the importance of having robust testing, certification and checking of such certification.  Without keeping within as strict as possible guidelines, we could potentially face outbreaks as happened in Budapest and the US.  Therefore AITA recommends all performers and producers use testing & certificates no older than two weeks during this time of higher potential risk.

AITA will be holding an opening meeting shortly for all Producers and Performers to discuss the AITA/ UKAP health protocols future requirements of the industry. This date will be announced in due course.

For these protocol’s to work we need the backing of the producers and the performers and all being made aware what they need to do if they get a positive health test result back.

From feedback to this draft, AITA will arrange an open meeting for all Producers & Performers to attend to discuss these protocols and options then and put in place a agreement for the future of the health of UK adult industry.

 DRAFT PROTOCOL

The person with HIV/ STI positive test is referred to as ‘Patient’

Performers exposed to Patient are referred to as ‘Contacts’

1. Patient to contact AITA via health@aita.co.uk or an AITA committee member.

2. AITA to establish what test has been taken and when and arrange a PCR re-test (if HIV). Check Patient has adequate resource to counselling and support.

3. Patient to give consent to AITA to communicate with clinic and pass on their details to Producers they specifically name.

4. Patient to provide list of Producers and Production Companies they have worked with within the last 30 days, 60 days and 90 days.

5. AITA to contact Producers worked with in the last 30 days. Producers to contact anyone who has worked with Patient in that period and pass list of Contacts to AITA with any other relevant information.

6. If PCR re-test comes back positive then an industry wide shut down is called for a minimum of 30 days and until all Contacts have been tested and any second and third tier Contacts tested.

NOTES

1. Contact AITA

Clearly a positive HIV result is devastating news and Patient may not wish to contact AITA direct particularly as they may not know anyone on the committee and currently AITA does not have the resources to nominate a particular person to be point of contact. An alternative would be for Patient to contact a Producer they trust who would then contact AITA on their behalf. It is abundantly clear that any Protocol must be Producer lead and that particularly the big Production Companies and Producers are seen to visibly support the Protocol.

AITA are investigating whether we could develop a close relationship with one or two health workers who would be willing to put their names forward as an initial contact.

2. Test / Counselling

The re-test must be a PCR test at least 10 days after initial HIV positive test. AITA also intends to post information about different tests, what they actually test for and their window periods. A number of high profile Performers are keen to work with the sub-committee to produce a clear fact sheet and disseminate broadly.

The clinic where Patient was tested should automatically offer counselling services, however AITA should be able to give contact details of a healthcare professional experienced in dealing with the particular needs of workers in the Adult Industry. AITA committee members may choose to offer personal support to Patient but this is not an AITA remit and is done outside the scope of their role within AITA.

3. Consent

A document needs to be signed which protects AITA from any data protections breaches and at the same time makes clear that AITA will only release name of ‘Patient’ to Producers on the contact list. Ideally an AITA officer should be given third party consent to liaise with the testing clinic.

The aim of the agreement is to not only to reassure Patient but also protect AITA from pressure to name Patient. This could be crucial when dealing with Contacts and other Performers requesting information or demanding a right to know.

AITA to draw up legal agreement.

4. Contact List

Ideally a further binding document should exist with Producers who are to be contacted on behalf of the Patient. From a health perspective they do not need to give name of Patient to performers who have been exposed, just the information that they have been exposed and need to re-test. If we can secure confidentiality then those who test positive are more likely to follow the AITA Protocol.

In order to satisfy all data protection laws and make sure that Producer is not breaking them in passing Contact list to AITA then a clause should be included as part of Model Release forms allowing Producer to do this.

5. Contact

To protect confidentiality the contact with Contacts needs to be quite formal, possibly in writing with a follow up phone call to make sure notification has been received. Notification should also include a request to contact AITA with their test results. This cannot be made compulsory but we can let the contact know that they although they do not have to comply with the request to inform of test results, the contact with them will be kept on record.

Ideally AITA should be able to provide contact details for professional counselling and support. Working with a established charity like the Terence Higgins Trust would help us to address all these concerns.

If there were sufficient funding a designated AITA official could be responsible for making contact once list of those exposed is received.

6. Release

All releases to be made by AITA via official websites and membership mailing lists. Social media only to be used to direct back to releases on designated sites. No interaction with individuals on Facebook or Twitter.