Adult Production Health & Safety Services (APHSS.org) has announced that the semi-annual syphilis testing program scheduled for September will instead begin immediately and run through the end of September.
The action follows recent unsubstantiated rumors of a syphilis incident among adult performers. Due to concerns raised by performers and producers, and with a desire to provide optimal care, APHSS.org made the decision to launch the program immediately, in order to alleviate any further concerns. The Center for Disease control, the National Institute of Health and the Department of Public Health recommend testing for syphilis only once a year and for highly sexually-active populations twice a year. Originally, the syphilis testing program was scheduled for the months of September and March.
“Though there has been no confirmation of these rumors, we have heard the concerns of producers and performers, and their well-being is our primary concern,” said FSC Executive Director Diane Duke. “By launching the program early, performers can go to APHSS-recommended testing facilities and get tested for syphilis for free, along with their regular performer tests panel.”
The testing facilities that will offer free syphilis testing through the end of September include Cutting Edge Testing, SameDayTest.com (AMTC), and STDStatus.com. Contact information for these facilities can be found at the APHSS.org website.
While there has been no confirmation of any syphilis infections in the U.S. performer population, APHSS policy dictates pro-active procedures to ensure that industry self-regulation protocols are observed. Any cases of syphilis tested within the system would follow those protocols, which includes partner identification.
Center for Disease Control guidelines for syphilis can be found here.
Syphilis is treatable. Early detection of syphilis is the key to fast, effective treatment with antibiotics. Individuals that may have had syphilis previously and been treated should be aware that antibodies created by the infection may trigger a “false positive” result and, in those cases, confirmatory tests must be administered to confirm any possible active infection. Any extra tests may take additional days to complete.
