Dear Yvonne:

I just got my first gig starring in an ::adult movie:: and I’m sooooo excited!  Can you tell me what STI tests I will need to get?  Can I get these tests @ The Clinic?

Thanks!

XXX N00b

*****

Dear XXX N00b:

Wow, this is a great question! We see a fair number of adult entertainers here, and we are more than happy to both test you for free and give you copies of your results to bring to work.

In terms of what tests are usually required, most sets ask for a basic panel and some others ask for a comprehensive panel. Basic panels include gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV, and this panel is the minimum required to work as an actor.  Comprehensive panels include those tests, plus syphilis, Hepatitis A, B, and C, and herpes blood testing.  We can do your basic panel here and some parts of the comprehensive - the only one of those tests we don’t offer is herpes blood testing.  Your panel needs to be current within a month, so you may want to get a panel done every 21-28 days if you are planning to work regularly.  Expect to show your results to your fellow performers and ask to see theirs in return.  If either you or a scene partner doesn’t have current, valid results, let the director know so filming doesn’t happen until everyone is tested.

Additionally, we recommend getting vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B.  Though these vaccines aren’t usually mandated to work in adult films, they are a great preventative measure you can take against these common viral STIs.  Pap smears are also not a requirement for film shoots, but we recommend keeping to a regular schedule of annual Pap smears to test for abnormal cell changes related to HPV.

One thing to note is that we usually only run gonorrhea and chlamydia tests on urine, so if you are shooting a lot of oral sex scenes, you may want to request a throat swab for these infections as well.

You can sign a records release form at your visit to get copies of your test results - these will clear you for work.

If you pick up a non-STI infection on the set, we can also see you here to treat vaginitis - like yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis - UTIs, and STIs that are common in the industry but not part of a basic panel, like molluscum, HPV, and herpes.

Thanks again for your great question, and good luck with your film!

-YP

Posted on June 5th, 2009 by yvonne
Filed under: ask_yvonne