YNOT – After months of disagreeing about a number of issues relating to health testing for adult performers, Adult Production Health & Safety Services and Talent Testing Service have put aside their differences. On Wednesday, APHSS, a division of adult industry trade organization Free Speech Coalition, announced TTS has signed on as a fully endorsed participant in the APHSS database system.
APHSS, which serves as an intra-industry health and workplace safety watchdog, sexually transmitted diseases outbreak notification agency, and health testing-and-treatment referral service, maintains a list of testing providers who meet requirements established in consultation with medical and legal experts. Most adult studios require performers to produce a “clean” health test within 14-28 days of participating in the production of sexually explicit content.
Talent Testing Service, which operates a nationwide network of laboratories and draw stations, is the preferred provider among a significant number of adult performers. Nevertheless, TTS declined to make changes in its operation in order to meet APHSS’s minimum standards. Notably, TTS declined to ensure a licensed physician was available to consult with clients at all times and refused to deliver test results to APHSS’s electronic database. The testing service repeatedly stated it did not wish to become “APHSS-approved” and preferred to maintain its own health-status database.
In July, the two entities reached an agreement under which TTS would establish an interface between its system and the master industry database maintained by APHSS. Despite its agreement to participate in the APHSS performer-health database, TTS maintained its determination not to join the APHSS-approved testing network. However, the company noted, it agreed with APHSS that the adult entertainment industry was best served by its participation in the centralized database as a non-approved provider.
One month later, an adult conglomerate that operates several major studios announced it would not accept test results submitted by TTS. The fledgling cooperation between TTS and APHSS broke down, and TTS accused the producer and APHSS of plotting to steal its trade secrets. The entities went their separate ways once more … until an outbreak of syphilis occurred in mid-August and a TTS clinic was implicated in a performer’s allegedly altered test results report. Both APHSS and TTS were thrown into the spotlight by the situation, and media outlets within and outside the adult industry reported a flurry of accusations and recriminations.
Negotiations evidently began again after the crisis passed. TTS President and Chief Executive Officer Sixto Pacheco said he never disagreed with APHSS on the most important issue: providing a consolidated reference point for the adult entertainment industry.
“We have always understood the importance of the APHSS program as a consolidating service between the different health alternatives that the adult industry talent has,” Pacheco said. “I am pleased that we have been able to put our differences aside and come together with a plan that benefits the adult industry as a whole.”
TTS, which is headquartered in Miami, already has made the adjustments required to integrate itself into the APHSS system as a stand-alone diagnostic facility. APHSS confirmed TTS now conforms to the protocols it requires of all providers.
“This is in keeping with our vision of industry unity when we launched APHSS as a resource providing availability information to producers and performers in the wake of the closure of AIM Healthcare,” FSC Vice President Christian Mann said. “It’s great news for the adult production community anywhere that APHSS providers perform health tests for industry performers.”
Performers who test at TTS are able to opt in to APHSS participation immediately, according to FSC Chief Executive Officer Diane Duke.
“We are very pleased to have Talent Testing join APHSS’s other quality providers,” she said. “This alliance will only help with performer continuity of care.”
