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Thre ex porn stars, Shelley Lubben, Tammie Boling and Jan Merritt, tell the shocking truth about the porn industry on the Joni show! Watch it online right now right here.

We really hope the truth we share will inspire people all over the world to stop viewing pornography and to get help if they can't. We also hope women and men in the sex industry will hear our stories and be inspired to leave the sex industry and live the amazing life they were created to live. You only get one life. Live it well!

If you are a sex worker and you need help to leave the sex industry and rebuild your life, please contact us right away at help@thepinkcross.org. We'd love to help you! God bless you and love you, Shelley.

 L.A. County health officials say at least 16 performers have been infected in addition to one reported this week. That brings the number of HIV cases in porn performers to 22 in the last five years.

By Kimi Yoshino and Rong-Gong Lin II
June 12, 2009

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-porn-hiv12-2009jun12,0,3569962.story 

Despite porn industry assurances that an adult film actress' recent positive HIV test is the first since a 2004 outbreak shut down production for a month, Los Angeles County health officials said Thursday that at least 16 additional unpublicized cases of HIV have been confirmed in adult film performers.
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FOR THE RECORD: An article in Friday's Section A on HIV cases among adult film performers incorrectly reported the first name of attorney Amy Martin, special counsel to the state health and worker safety agency, as Kim.

Porn actress tests positive for HIV        

The newly released data bring the number of HIV cases in porn performers in the last five years to 22, including the case disclosed this week.

The report -- and what state and county health officials perceive as stonewalling by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, which tests porn performers for sexually transmitted diseases -- is bringing renewed scrutiny to the estimated $12-billion-a-year industry's long history of resisting regulation and condom use.

"AIM Healthcare has never been cooperative with us and our investigations," said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health. So far, the San Fernando Valley-based clinic has declined to tell county or state officials the name of the performer or her employer.

"You'd think they'd want to be a full partner in trying to prevent the spread of this disease," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, health officer for Los Angeles County.

The performer first tested positive June 4, said Dr. Colin Hamblin, AIM's medical director. She worked the following day -- June 5 -- for reasons Hamblin said are still being investigated. A second positive result came back June 6. And the clinic is awaiting results of a third and final confirmatory test, he said.

The actress had two recent sexual partners, according to AIM. One is a porn actor, now under work quarantine, who performed with the woman June 5. The other is her boyfriend. Those men have had sexual intercourse with an additional six people, who have all been notified and offered testing, Hamblin said. So far, no one known to have had contact with the woman or her partners has tested positive for HIV.

Hamblin said the clinic is following all reporting rules, but because of patient privacy concerns cannot legally disclose the patient's name or employer to the county. "They also have to realize we have limitations too," Hamblin said. "We'd be happy to work with the county in any other capacity."

Attorney Kim Martin, special counsel to the state health and worker safety agency, said that the state health department and other public health agencies are exempt from those privacy laws and that they will continue seeking cooperation from the clinic.

In a statement published on AIM's website, Sharon Mitchell, the clinic's co-founder and a former porn star who appeared in more than 2,000 films, said the media was "like a moth to a flame."

"Rumor is rampant when the words 'HIV' and 'porn' are in the same sentence," she said.

Mitchell said AIM's clinic has been a leader in promoting prevention and testing. But, she added, "we are not the police department of the industry nor wish to be."

Public statements from clinic representatives downplaying the incident -- which one clinic official called "not a major event" -- drew some criticism.

"This industry screams for regulation," said Michael Weinstein, president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Cal-OSHA needs to require that condoms be used in any film. Yesterday."

The positive HIV test has concerned health officials and AIDS activists because the Valley is one of the leading producers of pornography in the world, with about 200 production companies that employ about 1,200 people who work as adult performers, and about 5,000 others. With some of the nation's largest pornography producers based in the Valley, any disease has the potential to spread quickly.

The 16 unpublicized HIV cases were not investigated by county public health officials, partly because privacy rules before 2006 prevented the disclosure of the names of HIV-infected individuals to government agencies. Because no government investigation of those cases took place, it is unclear whether those performers contracted HIV at work or elsewhere.

County officials were able to investigate the HIV outbreak in 2004 because AIM disclosed the names of the infected performers to the public. In that outbreak, Darren James, a well-known porn star, infected three actresses he had worked with before learning that he was HIV-positive. Another unrelated performer also tested positive. The cases spurred a series of public hearings, but legislation to force safer practices quietly expired without a vote.

No state laws specifically require condom use and the vast majority of heterosexual porn movies are shot "bareback," an industry term for unprotected sex.

State labor codes, however, do require use of personal protective equipment and protection against blood or bodily fluids in the workplace. Since 2004, five adult entertainment companies have been cited for a variety of violations. Each case has been settled, state officials said.

Since 2004, 2,378 people who identified themselves as adult film industry performers have tested positive for chlamydia in Los Angeles County. An additional 1,357 tested positive for gonorrhea and 15 for syphilis, according to data released Thursday by the county's health department.

Public health experts tried again in 2007 and 2008 to require condom use in adult films, but no lawmaker agreed to sponsor legislation, said Paula Tavrow, an assistant professor at UCLA's School of Public Health. But porn industry executives and officials, including its advocacy group the Free Speech Coalition, argue that they do a good job of self-regulation and say that the rates of HIV infection remain low. If laws are passed requiring condom use, they said, porn production would be pushed underground or outside California.

John Stagliano, a former porn star and president of Evil Angel productions, said: "The market determines whether or not this will be shown. A government agency the size of Los Angeles couldn't stop it. It's not going to change." 

To read more about the HIV and STD epidemic in the porn industry click here. Los Angeles County has been receiving reports from the clinic of 60 to 80 new cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea a month among adult performers. Read it! 

Ex Porn Star Lara Roxx Story

(Watch shocking video below.)

In March of 2004 Lara Roxx took a plane to Los Angeles leaving her native Montreal in search of a quick fortune in the Adult Entertainment’s land of opportunity known on the map as San Fernando Valley. Her plan was simple. She would first meet her agent and then embark on a busy work schedule. The more scenes, the more money, and in L.A a young woman could perform several scenes a day and easily earn as much as $10,000 to $15,000 a week depending on how open minded she was in terms of her physical boundaries. Eager to get to work Lara Roxx performed her first scene within 24 hours of landing on American soil. What was meant to be the first of many lucrative scenes was destined to end her career before it ever got off the ground.

The Hardcore Story of Porn Star Michelle Avanti

My name is Madelyne but I am also known as porn actress Michelle Avanti who has done over 100+ XXX hardcore movies.

My life began on April 19, 1980. Both my parents were young when they had me and my father was addicted to alcohol and drugs. They ended up divorcing and my mother became a single parent. At times my mother worked three jobs to make sure I had everything I needed but what I needed most she didn’t give me. I needed her love and wanted a mother daughter relationship especially since my father wasn’t in the picture. But instead of receive the love I needed I was raised by after school programs.

Growing up I was different from other kids. I never felt accepted anywhere. By the time I was in middle school I started to get in trouble. Eventually I got kicked out of high school. By this point I was doing whatever I wanted to do and started exploring alcohol, drugs and sex until one day I got raped by a friend of mine and it wasn't going to be last time. I was able to finish my high school credits at an alternative school and barely graduated.

I went on to take college courses at the local community college but wasn't able to finish due to my crazy party life.  I was able to get a job working as a cocktail server and beer girl behind the bar to support my addictions. I thought my life was so much fun because I was able to drink, be wild and meet new people. I would drink so much that I would forget to work and my employers got fed up and fired me.

From Party Life to Porn

I tried to get a real job but was missing my good ole party life and wasn’t making my quick fast tips I was used to. I decided to go back to work at the bar on the weekends. One night I met a guy who came in from the navy base. We started hanging out and partying together. I thought for sure this was the one because he made me feel so good and gave me all the love that I never had.  The relationship turned rocky and I became very depressed and started using more drugs and drinking heavily and we began to have major fall outs that eventually led to verbal and physical abuse. It got so bad that he started using too and we both had to go our separate ways. 

One day a friend and I took a trip on Amtrak to visit some friends down south. We never made it to our destination because we were so high. We met a guy and began flirting with him and within minutes we were partying. I told him how I just broke up with my fiancé and lost my job and how I had no money to pay for my bills. He said he could possibly help me out and that he was a porn star and the industry was looking for female talent. He also assured me that everyone is clean and tested for all sexually transmitted diseases. In porn you do get tested for STDs but ONLY for HIV, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. They don’t test you for Hepatitis A, B, or C or staph infections, yeast infections, Genital Herpes or HPV which is very common in the porn industry.  

 I didn't really hesitate and was definitely not in my right mind. I just heard dollar signs and I was desperate. My friend ended up going back home on the Amtrak and I stayed with a complete stranger. I was scared and nervous now that I was alone and didn’t have single clue about what I was getting myself into.  All I knew was I was going to make tons and tons of money. Boy was I wrong! The average I ever got paid was $900-$1000and had to give 10% to the agent and 5% to the driver. My agent forced me to use a driver because he knew I was always wasted. About 75% of the women who make porn have to have drivers because they’re addicted to drugs and alcohol.

When I was first introduced to my agent I told him I had no limits and would do it all. But I had NO idea what I was saying. I didn’t know about all the hardcore sex acts I would be forced to do. All I knew was that I wanted to catch up on my bills and then get out. So I signed a one year contract and only worked for him. I took pictures for the site and went to AIM (Adult Industry Medical Facility) and got my test.

My First Hardcore Scene

My first scene was booked and I was terrified.  It was a hardcore scene and my first scene ever on camera. I tried backing out and wanted to go home and not do porn at all but the male porn star I first met said I could not back out because I had signed a contract. I was threatened that if I did not do the scene I was going to get sued for lots of money. So I ended up taking shots of vodka to get me through it. As I did more and more scenes I abused prescription pills which were given to me anytime I wanted by several Doctors in the San Fernando Valley. I was given Vicodin, Xanax, Norcos, Prozac and Zoloft. The doctors knew I did porn but still gave me any prescription pills I wanted. All I had to do was tell them I needed them to get through hardcore scenes. In fact, any porn star can get just about any prescription from certain doctors in the San Fernando area. Maybe the doctors get kickbacks from porn producers. Who knows.

Some of my experiences on the porn set include me being totally wasted and porn producers allowed me to be and even provided alcohol and drugs for me. I experienced rough sex scenes and have been hit by male talent and told them to stop but they wouldn’t stop until I started to cry and ruined the scene. During one specific scene called “Bukkake” I was really high and the producers knew it and they told me to use a Douche to pretend I was urinating on another performer but I had an accident and instead I defecated on the performer. I was so humiliated and wanted to die. They told me it was okay and not to worry that they weren’t going to make a big deal about it and the next thing I know they blasted the scene all over the web. I felt totally degraded.

My Worst Hardcore Scene

The worst scene I ever did was during my first couple weeks in the business. The agent who handled all my bookings called me the day before the scene and said it would be similar to a solo masturbation scene. Then he added that there would also be about 10-15 guys masturbating to me and ejaculating on my body. He said it would be quick and easy money. I agreed to do the scene and showed up to the studio at the late-evening call time.

When I arrived I saw a massively long line of men outside the studio. I recognized very few of them as “talent.” Most of them were strangers I had never seen before and I wondered why they were there. I didn’t greet them but just took a deep breath and walked through the doors. 

I asked the make-up artist what was going on outside and why there were so many men.  She giggled and said, “They’re all here for you, girl! For the Bukakke!”

I thought to myself, “What the hell is that?” I quickly called my agent and said that there were so many men - at least 75! My agent told me that I had to do it and if I didn't, he would charge me and I would lose any other bookings I had because I would make his agency look bad. I was really new to the business and didn't want to cause problems with the agency. So I went through with it because I didn't want to lose out on money - that was the whole reason I was there. 

While the make-up artist was making me look pretty, she instructed me to get fluids all over my face. She said the majority of the men weren’t in the business and didn't have a clue what they were getting themselves into. She also said the company did Bukakkes every other week and put ads in the LA weekly to give men a shot at their big fantasy of ejaculating all over young fresh faces and appearing in a porn movie. 

I couldn’t believe it. I was sick to my stomach knowing some of these men could have wives and daughters waiting for them at home. What would they think if they knew where their husband or daddy was? And what would these men do if their daughters were up there like me, drunk and high, while the producers stood by and allowed it? And I never did see any proof of their STD tests because I was too high. To this day I have no idea how 75 men could have been tested to do a porn movie with me. 

By the time I was done with make-up, dealing with my agent, and at the same time trying to build some confidence to do this horrifying scene, it was already 10pm. One of the crew members offered me vodka and beer. 

This so-called “quick scene” had not even started and I had to let each one of those men masturbate to me and shoot their bodily fluids all over my face and body. I drank a few more shots, finally loosened up, checked out emotionally and mentally, and got through the scene. 

It was absolutely horrible. After the scene ended the photographer made me take pictures with the 75 men who had just ejaculated on me while I stood there covered with their bodily fluids forcing myself to smile. I felt so gross and disgusted with myself that I couldn’t even look at the film when I was sober.

As I continued to do hardcore porn I started catching STDs all the time. My lower body hurt so badly and at times my private area felt like it was a blazing fire. I always seemed to get yeast infections and bladder infections so bad that I would bleed whenever I peed. I also ripped my vagina and butt from all the hardcore scenes I did. 

STDs, infections and addiction

I could no longer work because I caught so many STDs and infections. So I devoted all my time to my addictions and was out of control. I felt completely hopeless. I eventually ran out of money and asked my agent for more work but he said no one wanted to hire me because my drug and alcohol problem was out of control. I told him I thought that was funny because on the porn sets they always provided alcohol and drugs to the girls. He suggested I escort and strip to make quick and easy money. He said in the mean time he would try to get me a few scenes to help me get some money.

I started to make money again and never once paid any of my bills. It all went to drugs and alcohol. It only got worse for me. One day while driving I ran a red light and got pulled over for a DUI. I got arrested and my car was impounded. I lost my car because I had no money to pay all the fines. You would think I would have learned my lesson but no, I got arrested again, overdosed twice and the ambulance took me both times to Kaiser Hospital where I had no insurance and no money to pay them. They told me since I couldn’t pay that they could just write it off. California taxpayers probably ended up paying my bill. I also went to Tarzana Treatment Center which the County of Los Angeles helped me pay for.  

I eventually left the treatment center and rented a little room from an elderly lady I found on Craig’s list who was as much a drunk as I was. I didn’t care about myself. I was a total mess and no hope and faith for myself. I just figured oh well who cares I have no one and nothing. I ended up booking a scene on my own and convinced the director I could still perform. I ended up partying right after and all the cash I made from the scene was gone.  I had nothing. No ID, no credit card or money. 

God answered my prayer!

In January, 2009, I cried out to God to please help me and told Him I couldn’t live like this anymore. I told Him I would give myself to Him if He would help me. The next few days I made some phone calls and moved back home. It felt so good to see them and a burst of energy ran through my body. God kept His promise and rescued me from the porn industry.

Now that I am out of the business and away from the horrible porn lifestyle I am excited to receive a special gift from God to have a baby and start my life over. Yes, I am pregnant and single but I know God has a plan for me. He even helped me overcome my addictions and I have been sober ever since I left. Everyday is a challenge and but as long as I practice and follow His steps I know He will not give up on me.

I have learned my addictions are parasites and suck the life out of me. I have learned that my addictions are alcohol, prescription pills, drugs, doing porn and sex work.  Yes most definitely my addictions have promised me pleasure and have consumed my thoughts, time, money and energy.  They have stolen away my loyalty and heart for those I love and who love me. I am determined I will never live that old life again and that I must destroy my addictions and if I don't they will destroy me again.

I was talking with some friends and they brought up Shelley Lubben and the Pink Cross Foundation. I looked up her site on the internet and emailed her.  The next day I was contacted by the Pink Cross staff and was sent a beautiful care package.  I received a very nice card from Shelley and it meant so much to me. I met up with her and had such a wonderful time with her we talked and had such a yummy lunch.  I am so happy to have Shelley and the Pink Cross support me and help me through my recovery and pregnancy. I really admire her and think that she is an amazing and beautiful person inside and out and a true leader.

I am very proud to be a part of Pink Cross because they are helping me rebuild my faith and most importantly build a strong healthy relationship with my family. I am especially thankful to my Lord Jesus Christ for setting me free and making me a totally new creation! My hope is that everyone reading my story will stop viewing porn and stop hurting women like me who get sucked into the lie of the porn industry and instead let God heal you like He is doing for me. We’re all made for something better than porn.

I love you and am praying for you,

Madelyne

*A note from Shelley:

If you were touched by Madelyne’s story please leave her loving comments at her myspace www.myspace.com/newmaddie as this will really help her to heal. This was NOT easy for Madelyn to tell the raw details of her experience in porn and she really needs your love and support more than ever, especially with being pregnant and trying to recover at the same time. Her baby is due mid July and she has many needs. We also want to send her to beauty school in September and want to support her and the baby while she attends school. Thank you for any help you can give to Madelyne. Yes, she's having a girl and needs baby clothes size 12 months and older. (She has enough newborn clothes).

 We are extremely grateful for any help you can give to these precious women. 

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