Since the 1980s, outbreaks of HIV/AIDS within the community of erotic actors caused a number of deaths. In response to this threat AIM was founded in 1998 by former
pornographic film actress,
Sharon Mitchell, who had left the industry in 1996 to pursue credentials in public health counseling and
sexology. The Foundation helped set up a system in the United States wherein erotic actors in the
adult film industry are tested for AIDS every 30 days. All on-camera sexual contact is logged, and a positive test result triggers the contacting and re-testing of all sexual partners during the previous three to six months. The Foundation provided secure means of sharing results via their web servers so that results cannot be forged. Prior to AIM, there had been STD testing programs in lifestyle communities, including
Kerista Commune,
More University, and
Rajneeshpuram. These approaches had mixed results and were less systematic and regular. Tests for the sex industry actors were done at the Foundation's offices in
San Fernando Valley,
Sherman Oaks, and
Granada Hills. Each month, about 1,200 actors were tested for HIV, with results as early as 14 days after infection. This test is effective 10 days after potential infection, and anytime thereafter (
HIV-1 DNA, by
PCR) as compared to the alternative HIV test (
HIV ELISA) which requires a six-month waiting period to be effective. The center also tested for
chlamydia,
gonorrhea and
syphilis. It was in 2004 that AIM assisted in the sex-film-industry shutdown, a quarantine that lasted fewer than 60 days. James had apparently had contact with 12 women since his initial negative HIV test in March upon his return from a
Brazilian film shoot. In 2009, the
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the
Los Angeles Times claimed there were 16 unreported cases of HIV among adult film actors. AIM Health Care Foundation reported that these cases were actually members of the general public or people applying to work in the adult film industry that had not yet actually worked in films due to their initial test being positive. On October 12, 2010, the Foundation reported that an actor or actress had been infected with HIV. The name and gender of the person was not released to the public.
Vivid Entertainment and
Wicked Pictures shut down porn production temporarily to avoid spreading of the virus. Although
Wicked Pictures has a mandatory condom policy, the company shut down to wait for the
quarantine list. In early 2011, the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation publicly raised questions about AIM clinics' licensing situation, resulting in a shutdown. Later that year, the foundation reopened under private ownership, but this was short-lived. ==SxCheck==