Harriet Sugarcookie and Sugarcookie.xxx have issued a statement on the current HIV situation in the European porn industry. They have also created an easy-to-follow infographic outlining key information for performers.
In a recent article on Sugarcookie.xxx, the Sugarcookie team explained, “There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the HIV positive test and sexual health in the European porn industry. In this post, we address that for the benefit of other porn performers.”
Sugarcookie herself qualified: “There’s been a lot of misinformation, gossip and rumors, as well as confusing statements coming from from the industry itself… We found that many models contacting us for advice really didn’t know what was going on exactly or what they need to do to stay safe and informed.”
The statement goes on to explain what has happened, what the risks are and what the industry is doing to improve safety.
Sugarcookie.xxx strongly believes that all European performers should follow the Free Speech Coalition’s guidelines and stick to the four to eight week shutdown depending on which HIV tests are available to them — which is what all responsible productions are also following.
“The big thing we learned when this situation started is that sexual health testing through the European porn industry just isn’t up to the same standards as it is in America. Testing in the US can detect HIV a lot faster, and there are more robust processes in place for dealing with positive tests,” said Sugarcookie.
The team at Sugarcookie.xxx also created an infographic for performers explaining key dates for getting back to work and which tests they should be asking for from their fellow performers and for themselves. The infographic can be viewed below.
“A lot of models in Europe speak very little English, so we wanted to create something simple and visual that models can use as a guide,” Sugarcookie explained. “Plus, the sad thing is that many performers have been kept in the dark by their representatives about what is going on so many people are getting their health information from rumors.”
“We believe performers need to be informed and updated on the situation, and we will continue to that as best we can on our site and social media channels,” she concluded.
The team at Sugarcookie.xxx qualified their shared information with the note: “Any medical advice in this article is to the best of our knowledge. Always consult a doctor for the most accurate sexual health advice,” which certainly should be heeded.
Visit Harriet Sugarcookie on Twitter at @HSugarCookie and on Instagram at @sugarcookiemag.
