This has been one of the worst months in my professional career in this business. Two things have inevitably collided - the explosion in the number of performers in addition to the proliferation of a wider range & more frequent health testing. These 2 factors have NOT however, come with an increase in personal performer responsibility or producer & agent scrutiny of those performers. The past thirty days there has been a syphilis scare that turned out to be untrue, a veteran male performer was faking his health tests for up to 3 years because he was Hepatitis C positive, and now a girl and most like her boyfriend are HIV positive.

I have long passed my 10th year as a performer, I have spent 3 years as a producer/director, and this is my 5th year as a serious affiliate (salesman). I have had so many thought about getting out months ago, and this current situation has only exacerbated my angst and dread about my future.

It's common that anytime a health scare pops up within the industry that people freak out and announce that they are making changes, leaving the biz for good, etc. I have never been one of those people.