Chatsworth, California produces 85% of the world’s adult content. All of the top female talent agencies are located in or within the Chatsworth local radius. Female performers are flown or fly to Chatsworth to work in the adult industry. All of the world’s top male talents live or travel to Chatsworth California for work. Every major and minor adult DVD Company is in the local Chatsworth radius.
The California pornography industry is a destructive, drug-infested, abusive, and sexually diseased industry that causes severe negative secondary effects on female and male adult industry workers as well as the general public. I am confident of the above because not only was I a stripper, pornographic performer, and escort in the California pornography industry from 1986 to 1994, but I have also counseled with or spoken to over 300 female and male workers in the pornography industry as well as those struggling with pornography addiction.
I have been working with adult industry workers since 2002, when I began volunteering as a teacher and counselor at local rescue missions and prisons in the State of California. I have worked at Madera Rescue Mission, Bakersfield Rescue Mission, Central California Women’s Facility Prison, and Valley State Prison for Women and have traveled throughout the United States as a speaker and counselor on the negative effects of pornography at various churches, recovery programs, and secular organizations.
General Statistics on the Porn Industry
In my daily work of assisting women and men recovering from the pornography industry, as well as those struggling with pornography addiction and gathering research over a period of several years, I have learned significant facts to prove that indeed the California pornography industry is causing severe secondary negative effects on adult industry workers as well as the general public, which is involuntarily exposed to pornography, especially children, whose average age of first internet exposure to pornography is 11 years old.
According to pornography statistics:
- It is estimated that there are 4.2 million porn websites—12% of the total amount of sites—allowing access to 72 million worldwide visitors monthly.
- One-quarter of the total daily search engine requests, or 68 million, are for pornographic material, where 40 million Americans are regular visitors.
- According to comScore Media Metrix, 71.9 million people visited adult sites in August 2005, reaching 42.7 percent of the internet audience.
- The United States adult film industry produces 4,000–11,000 films a year and earns an estimated $9–$13 billion in gross revenues annually.
- An estimated 200 production companies employ 1,200–1,500 performers. Performers typically earn $400–$1,000 per shoot and are not compensated based on distribution or sales.
- Lobbyist Bill Lyon told 60 Minutes that the porn industry employs 12,000 people in California and pays the state $36 million in taxes per year. When 60 Minutes first spoke to Lyon, he was running the free speech coalition, a trade organization that represents 900 companies in the porn business.
Porn Workers Frequently Receive STDs
Adult film performers engage in prolonged and repeated sexual acts with multiple sexual partners over short periods of time, creating ideal conditions for transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). All the more concerning, high-risk sex acts are on the rise.
At the same time, condom use is reportedly low in heterosexual adult films—approximately 17% for adult performers. In 2004, only two of the 200 adult film companies required the use of condoms. Performers report that they are required to work without condoms to maintain employment.
These practices lead to high transmission rates of STDs and occasionally HIV among performers. After four performers contracted HIV in 1998, Sharon Mitchell, a former adult film performer, founded Adult Industry Medical, a clinic to counsel and screen performers monthly for HIV.
The current practice of periodic HIV and STD testing may detect some diseases early but often fails to prevent transmission. In April 0f 2004, three performers who had been compliant with monthly screening contracted HIV. At that time, a male performer who had tested HIV negative only three days earlier infected three of 14 female performers.
What the Performers Say About STDs
In statements I have received from females and males working in the pornography industry and those who previously worked in the industry, at least 80% admit to catching an STD while working in the California pornography industry.
- I personally caught the non-curable disease Genital Herpes in 1994 and was not given any information or help from porn producers or the adult industry.
- Jan Meza, a former porn actress who left the porn industry in October 2007, publicly shared of late that she discovered she has Herpes. She is totally devastated in that she caught a non-curable disease.
- Belladonna, a well-known pornographic performer states: “99% of the porn industry has herpes.”
- One male pornographic performer, Rocco, 600 films and 3,000 women later, says: “Every professional in the porn-world has herpes, male or female.”
- Tanya Burleson, formerly known as Jersey Jaxin, caught Chlamydia her first year working. She exclaimed, while speaking with me, “I don’t believe I worked with one person who didn’t at one time have an STD.” Tanya made over 200 movies in her three-year career. She also says, “Performers have to pay for their own testing, their medicine, and lose at least eight days of work every time they catch a sexually transmitted disease.”
Sexually transmitted diseases are highly prevalent in the pornography industry. Among 825 porn performers screened in 2000–2001, 7.7% of females and 5.5% of males had Chlamydia and 2% overall had gonorrhea. Dr. Sharon Mitchell confirms the STD prevalence in an interview with Court TV, in which she states: “66% of porn performers have herpes, 12-28% have sexually transmitted diseases and 7% have HIV.”
Why Some Porn Stars Also Work at Escort Services
Pornographic performers and adult industry workers also often engage in prostitution through escort agencies such as Body Miracle, Dreamgirls, and Porno Star Escorts, where they not only risk sexually transmitted disease but also HIV and hepatitis C infection.
Pornographic performers usually prefer escorting because the pay is much higher and sex acts are not as degrading or physically demanding. They receive approximately $100 an hour for working in pornographic films or $1500 an hour for escorting. Adult industry workers who are also pornographic performers get paid higher than other adult escorts due to their celebrity status and can book 2-3 hour appointments and make approximately $3000 a day. Agents also lie to women in the adult industry and lure them into prostitution. Porn performer Erin Moore says, “Some agents lie to the girls and tell them they are shooting a scene when instead they set up prostitution acts for them.”
While I was a pornographic performer in 1993-94, I was flown to different parts of the United States by porn companies where consumers of pornography sometimes paid me thousands of dollars to spend a weekend with them where we engaged in unprotected sex. During one appointment with a man and his wife, we engaged in unprotected sex and I passed the disease to both of them. Pornographic performers and adult industry workers definitely spread sexually transmitted diseases to the general public.
The Prevalence of Drug Abuse in the Porn Industry
Another secondary negative effect of the adult industry is the exposure to drugs and drug addiction. Porn actress Erin Moore admits, “The drugs we binged on were Ecstasy, Cocaine, Marijuana, Xanax, Valium, Vicodin, and alcohol.”
Tanya Burleson, formerly known as Jersey Jaxin, says, “Guys are punching you in the face. You get ripped. Your insides can come out of you. It’s never-ending. You’re viewed as an object—not as a human with a spirit. People do drugs because they can’t deal with the way they’re being treated.”
One male porn star says on his blog on January 28, 2008:
“Drugs are a major, major problem in my business. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to you. I can’t tell you the number of girls who have disappeared and dropped out of the business because of their drug problems. It is unbelievably sad to think about, and seeing some of them fall into a downward spiral hurts me more than others. But I think we all can agree that a huge majority of drug users will never change unless they get professional help.
I have seen all manner of drugs on set, at parties, in cars, everywhere. If I had to guess, I would put marijuana use at 90% of ALL people involved in the industry (performers, directors, crew, agents, drivers, owners, office workers, etc.).
I have been on a set where a girl has passed out during a sex scene with me (she was abusing oxycontin). Just recently a girl overdosed on GHB (a party drug that is a clear odorless drug that doesn’t mix well with alcohol) on set. I have seen a girl win a prestigious AVN Award, not show up to accept the award, and then fall into the throes of drug use that caused her to lose at least 50 pounds and drop off the face of the earth.
Why is drug use so prevalent in our business? Well, let’s figure that out.
First of all, remember that the business is populated largely with girls aged 18-21. And the majority of those girls are uneducated (many haven’t graduated high school). Add to that the fact that many come into the business because they have no money and are working at menial jobs like fast food places. So you have young girls who are uneducated with very little money entering the business.
Once they are in the business, they are now making ten thousand dollars a month and working maybe five hours a day 10-15 days a month. There are predators out there that can smell these girls and prey on them like sharks. Young, uneducated girls with lots of money, lots of free time, and very little supervision. This is a really bad equation (unless you are a drug dealer of course).”
All Porn Industry Workers Experience Abuse
In addition to prevalent drug use, degradation and abuse are rampant in the pornography industry. In one study, 100% of the strippers reported some kind of verbal or physical abuse on their jobs.
Verbal abuse by customers is extremely common with 91% reporting incidents. They were routinely called degrading names.
Besides the verbal abuse, all endured some type of physical abuse on the job. Despite the fact that it is illegal to touch a stripper, strippers reported that customers:
- Grabbed them by the arm (88%)
- Grabbed their breast (73%)
- Grabbed their buttock (91%)
- Pulled their hair (27%)
- Pinched them (58%)
- Slapped them (24%)
- Bit them (36%)
The strippers are often attacked in front of the strip club bodyguards and other audience members.
Former pornographic performer Alex Devine shares her violent experience and writes:
“Donkey Punch was the most brutal, depressing, scary scene that I have ever done. I have tried to block it out of my memory due to the severe abuse I received during the filming. The guy, Steve French, has a natural hatred towards women in the sense that he has always been known to be more brutal than EVER needed. I agreed to do the scene thinking it was less beating, except the ‘punch’ in the head. If you noticed, Steve had worn his solid gold ring the entire time and continued to punch me with it. I actually stopped the scene while it was being filmed because I was in too much pain.”
There is a very heavy emphasis on rougher, more sadistic sex, with slapping, spitting, violent hair-pulling, and scenes of extremely abusive hardcore sex acts. In one film, the man forces the woman’s head into a toilet during the final scene, a technique that seems to help him achieve climax.
See Porn and Sexual Violence: 7 Important Facts.
Safe Workplace Laws Aren’t Enforced in California
In California, every employer is required to ensure that employees have a safe working environment. In 1973, the California Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted to assure safe and healthful working conditions for all California working men and women by authorizing the enforcement of effective standards, assisting and encouraging employers to maintain safe and healthful working conditions, and by providing research, information, education, training, and enforcement in the field of occupational safety and health.
Employers in the California porn industry are required to provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees, even pay the costs of a health and safety program, and yet this is not the standard in the adult industry.
Currently, employers in the California pornography industry completely ignore the laws of the State of California to protect adult industry workers. This causes severe secondary negative effects on workers by subjecting them to physical and emotional abuse, major degradation and violence, illegal drugs, sexually transmitted diseases, and entrapment into prostitution. This is the standard of the California pornography industry. Any adult industry employer or worker who tells you differently is blatantly lying and does not value human life, but is rather destroying human life for the gluttonous love of money.
Get More Facts About the Porn Industry and Its Impact on Consumers
The porn industry has a dark side for porn workers, but porn has some strong negative effects on consumers too. Learn more about the harms of porn and get the latest statistics on the porn industry in our free ebook Porn Stats.
is everyone forgetting the most addictive thing of all isn’t the money, it is the dopamine from the sex.. many of the workers are slaves to their very high release of dopamine since they are usually the few that have explored sex enough to find the most potent type of kink that gets them off. Not all sex release is the same in everyone and not all types of sex gives the same level of release in each person. It is not just the users of porn that get addicted. The performers can be chained by their own sexual releases. Those are almost impossible to break without some serious deep love to absorb one from it
If sex is addictive outside of marriage by way of the porn industry, then it is most certainly addictive within marriage. So is addiction to sex really evil?
@dennis – Is sex in marriage addictive? Yes and no. Porn/sex addiction is what’s known as a “arousal addiction.” With all arousal addictions the operative drive is the desire for variety. For a man addicted to sex and porn, he will be prompted to seek out different images, different experiences, different women. A man who stays faithful to his wife isn’t seeking this variety, rather he is building a habit of intimacy with his spouse, which in turn bonds her to him. While both porn and monogamous sexual relations tap the same neurochemical and hormonal systems, they do not produce the same results.
Aside from these facts, the nature of your question is related to morality: Is addiction to sex evil? The answer to this question is based more on your frame of reference: What is meant to guide our morals? I would argue, from a Christian perspective, that addiction to anything is inherently wrong, merely because the addictive behavior or substance becomes the all-consuming reality of one’s life, and this is a position that only God is meant to occupy for us. To let anything become our greatest longing and desire (even a good thing) is to, in a sense, let it become our god.
what is with all this god talk
@rich – The “god talk” is because Shelley Lubben is a Christian, as are many of the readers of this blog.
God is a lie! he is non existent, he lets thousands of people (kids) die everyday, what a great god…..! its a total load of bollocks!!!!!
(In response to a post from November and continuing) One notable difference between oil rigging and the porn industry is that oil rigging isn’t a sin against God (YHWH of the Christian faith). According to Christianity, sex is intended for only a husband and a wife to share; it seems to be an uncommon practice now for a number of reasons. Those reasons could include: moral rebellion, uncontrolled lust, desire for money, peer pressure, cultural pressure, and ignorance (and a plethora of other reasons).
No doubt, it is possible that a person could enter the porn industry, become rich, and extract no diseases and live a happy and stable life. Of course this isn’t very likely, but I am speaking strictly of logical possibilities. However, if you were to observe the chance of extracting a disease or diseases at work and compare it to the chance of receiving a physical injury at work, then you might be liken to stick with oil rigging. 1: The people running the rigging company are very likely to be highly motivated to keep their employees safe by following a set of rules, regulations, and safety procedures. However, the agents of a porn industry are more likely to be negligent of a persons physical safety; not to mention that fact that even if the greatest possible safety measures are taken, repetitive sex with multiple partners still has a very high risk of disease extraction. Finally, consider for a moment that as a person working in the porn industry you aren’t going to gain a positive reputation, and you aren’t helping the public (except to support those who have pornographic or sex addictions). On the other hand, working an oil rigging job can gain a person a respectable reputation while doing work that benefits the economy in a positive way.
So, even from a non-religious standpoint, it seems to me that the money one might earn from sex/porn is not worth the cost or the risk that is involved.
However, from the Christian standpoint I personally make the claim that living a life in submission to God’s will is worth your life’s focus. You might realize God’s love that does not discriminate or hold grudges.
I fear that I have opened up quite a much larger issue that is too large for this forum. I want to recognize that much of what I have mentioned is controversial, even the processing of oil can be argued to be destructive or wrong, let alone the controversies that a religious argument can bring. I want to just say that I do not mean to impose any opinions on anyone, and I don’t mean to offend anyone. Finally, I say what I do about Christianity because I thoroughly believe it, and would be willing upon request to offer logical, philosophical, scientific, or theological evidence to back my claims. Thank you.
Just my take on the conversation: I don’t believe that women or men for that matter are “lazy sluts.” They do make a viable descision to do porn in hopes of making money or some other means of reason. I guess the women do have a hard time doing porn for a number of reasons and turn to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain whether for physical or emotional reasons. One thing that puzzles me the most, is why do so many people do porn when the chances of contracting an incurrable disease is almost certain! After doing so many films unprotected and people outside of work, its really hard not to get some sort of STD. I don’t know; I suppose the money is just to good to turn down.
I watch porn, and to be honest, I don’t like that I do it. In fact I hate it! But the truth is that there is no other means of convenience for physical pleasure than porn! I am a Christian and I believe in God with all of my heart, which makes my situation even worse. I really hate the fact that porn feeds off of a very primordial, physical urge. I mean looking at it from a basic idea we as people have to eat, sleep, and reproduce. I know that is putting it very basic and it probably sounds like an excuse but that is how it seems to me. I’m sure there are lots of people like me, torn between their religious beliefs and physcial urges. Oh, in regards to the person who was talking about porn is not natural. I don’t think he quit right. Porn is based off of what is natural. What I mean is sex is natural! The other degrading parts of porn is feeding off of people’s inhibition to withdraw from sinful acts which everyone in this world deals with everyday. Thank God for Jesus! He paid for our sins so that we may be forgiven.
@B-Rad – I hear you when you say that you hate looking at porn, the tension you feel between what you believe and your physical urges. But I would urge you to reconsider your understanding of watching porn as “natural.” Sex is natural and good, meant to bond us to another person in love. But porn is solo-sex, bonding you to images and fantasies. Plus, watching porn endorses the industry that encourages the kind of abuses these women suffer.
It is good that Jesus forgives us, but that same grace is also available to change us. I would really encourage you not to give up or lower God’s standards for your sexual life.
being hooked on instant gratification is a hard thing to break,its exactly like quitting drugs,tuff.Best of luck.
Is it possible to start a company of women who produce porn in a manner in which the industry workers are stock holders or owners of the company? I understand that this will not eliminate the problem, but if the abuse is one in which the actresses make money and then fall into the cycle of drugs depression etc..would a female ownership have any impact on a subtle regulatory system..
@peter – Of course that is always a possibility. The issue is more cultural than anything else: by in large, much of the pornography industry in California is still a dirty business. When you have a bunch of men driven largely by greed and lust, it is isn’t advantageous to give the women who are objectified more power.
Take, for example, a study done in 2007 by Robert Wosnitzer, Ana Bridges, and Michelle Chang. They looked at the 50 top selling adult DVDs (as published by Adult Video News). After analyzing the scenes in these films, they found 3,376 acts of verbal or physical aggression—that’s an act of aggression every minute and a half or so. In 73% of instances, men were the aggressors, and when women were the aggressors, most of the time they were being aggressive to another woman. Clearly, there is a premium in these films on women being depicted as tools for male pleasure. (Learn more in my e-book, Your Brain on Porn). It is degrading and dehumanizing. It is eroticized violence.
To give women a stake in what happens would run contrary to the overall business model they’ve set up.
I’m glad to see that this this issue is being discussed more and more every day. I’ve always had a negative view of pornography since I was raped while being forced to watch porn and recreate the acts in the film. Porn to me is vile, disgusting and dgrading to both men and women. When I try to discuss my views on porn, it is difficult for people to know where I am coming from because I can’t tell the the root of my hatred. Even if that hadn’t happened to me, I would still feel the same about porn. Some people accept porn as a normal, everyday thing in their lives. They think I am some what of a bigot when it comes to porno. I am a very open, accepting person, but I believe that every single person, man or woman, that is in porn has to be a slut. My thought process is that these people go into this “industry” (if that’s what you want to call it) knowing that they are going to be screwed by mutiple partners and that they are going to be required to do obscene sex acts with a complete stranger. What does that say about their hearts? What does it say about their “souls” if believe in souls. Some argue that some of these women who become stippers, escorts or porn stars are doing it possibly to support a family. They argue that the sex industry is “hard” work, no pun intended. I guess worrying about stds constantly and having to be pounded or pound somone or multipe people is a difficult job! It isn’t fair for me to say they are all lazy people who are just looking to make easy money and the rest of them are just in it because their chemistry in their brains are all fucked up, some would say. Maybe they are single mothers is another classic justification. These ideas and oppinions others have and present to me in debates on this subject are translucent to me. They think I see things uh n black and white when it comes to porno. I do, There is not an acceptable “reason” for any person, male or female to whore them selves out. None. Period. I agree that some people might not have a full understanding of what they ‘might’ have to do in the business in their future, but the basis is obvious and I believe that if these people are adults they should be able to* somewhat predict * where the porn industry may take them. In my mind, these pornstars are fully capable people just like you and I. They should go to college on loans, grants, scholarships. They should actually work for something in their life, not take a short cut and then expect people to feel sorry for them. I am a very empathic and sympathetic woman, but I feel little to zero of those emotions for individuals who put themselves in that situation. I always say, there is a reason for everything. I try to understand a persons background to undefstand why they do or say the things they do and say. Why they are who they are, but with porn stars, I just can’t understand why anyone would do that to themselves. I see the”reasons or excuses” , like money, being sexually assulted or malested at a young age, needing attention,having father issues or commitment issues, none of these things justify their actions for me. Expressing my views on pornography has caused so many arguments and fights between myself and loved ones, friends and boyfriends, even my fiancé. It makes me upset because I really feel like they don’t understand fully why I feel this way about porn. It’s easy to say here because no ome knows who I am here. I felt alone in my views on
pornography, Although some of my friends do agree. It makes me feel better to know that people are starting to talk more about how detramental porno is on our culture and society. It effects relationships all around. These pushers of porn won’t stop unless we who feel this way speak up.
My husband of 5 years has told me that he wants me to become a pron star. He wants to watch me to have group sex with men . He is a big IT guy -he a CCIE, makes over 150,000 yearly plus bonusesand says he can set up website for me. I find myself so torn. I can’t share this with anyone, he says everyone will just say that it’s bad and why does anyone need to know, or they may even say he is abuse to me. I, on the other hand don’t want to feel like I have to hide anything. I think about doing it to pay for my daughter’s college education but again I don’t want her to know about. … I feel like I don’t love him anymore…. We use to have a great sex life but know I have so much fear and can’t feel as open as I did. Help!!!
Jennifer if you are torn that means the idea of banging various men,on camera does not sit well with you¿¿ If you do not wish to hide well than stand up for yourself and tell him that you do not will not perform these acts. Save your dignity and he should respect your decision.. As far as money,for college well I am sure there are other ways… Best of wishes
Well said Tessa,you are one that deserves sympathy.
what is jennifer talking about. sounds like he makes enough for the kids schooling. he is a sicko or is trying to divorce you. and you find this of real importance to bring up. disfunctional
It is depressing to see all these anti-porn sites are playing the religion card. Where are the people who can see that its unhealthy…Never mind all the supersticious gobbeldygook. It’s UN-NATURAL thats all.
NATURAL and WELL BALENCED healthy people don’t view themselves or others as PRIMARILY sex objects. But rather ae persons of value. Even when they do, Most NORMAL people will be inhibited from rape, incest, child molestation etc.by their CONSCIENCE and/or the NATURAL instinct to see others as we see our self….Another human being with VALUE. Who is MORE than their genitalia.
It’s about VALUE. IT’s about self esteem…It’s not about “SIN” per se, it’s about health vs. sickness. It takes a SICK person to enjoy watching other people have sex ( it’s called VOYERISM…PEEPING TOM..etc)
The sexual guilt beat into our children from the cradle on under the guise of religion is part of the PROBLEM! These sexually/psychologically abuse kids grow up feeling they are “BAD” “GUILTY” “WORTHLESS” little wonder that tend to “act-out” in adulthood the script handed to them as a child. ie. they live their lives so as to PROVE they are who they have been taught to believe thay are by dissaproving, shaming, ABUSIVE PARENTS!
I REFUSE to be reduced to being ONLY a penis, and refuse to see women as nothing but a walking VAGINA! It is a DEGENERATE VIEW OF LIFE!….pornography is a LIE….simple.
@Henry – People play the “religion card” (as you call it) because they are adherents of that religion. They see this issue, and all issues, through the lens of their spiritual beliefs. You obviously don’t share those beliefs, but why would someone give up their beliefs or ignore them when talking about an issue like this?
i agree w/alot of what you said Henry.I wanna add some to it.Along w/low self esteem and crappy parents.Theres also a new trend of people wanting to be diagnosed w/something to feel speacial.Which to me is the pharmacuticle co.’s and Doctors as well.I think parents of children now a days,teenagers reaching 18 or 21 rely too much on government or others or professionals for an identity,for esteem and answers in general.so they have no real true life experiences teaching them the ways of the world,so how could they be prepared.My parents were tuff on me,but im glad.When i turned 18 i was ready for the world.I had to buy my 1st car,stereo,anything,from the sweat of my brow.There was no instant gratification for me to get hooked on either.I had learned self respect and value,what im thinking you call normal.I think the breakdown of family is a big cause also.Im not religeous,nor very sympathetic either.I feel about as much sympathy for a porn star as i do a crack head.Which is to say very little.There are cases in which i do feel sympathy as there are always real reasons to do so.I am a substance abuse counselor.I see this type of stuff daily.I feel sorry for very few of my clients.In most cases theve.To me porn stars are simply protitutes,that dont feel like working for a living.its always poor poor me,pour me another.They have no self will,its instant gratification…mememe,nownownow..Every body cant make it in this country,there has to be some losers,another problem w/the way children are being raised,only winners,every child gets a trophy…theres a reason for 1st,2nd and 3rd place.its a teacher,one of lifes best experiences,thrown to the side.Its called others esteem,not your own so when a adolescent runs into a problem or rejection,or oppurtunity,they are not prepared for it and simply fall apart.Now there bait for the wolves of the world.Porn is a choice,lifestyles are a choice.Aint no body making any body do a damn thing..period.Hard to leave this life style my a**,its a choice.I will say that if a higher power can get some one out of the buisness so be it,if it works it works.But personally i have zero respect and zero sympathy for and one making money for sex acts.
If you ever watched porn videos or go to strip bars or pay for prostitute, then you are just as guilty as the female porn actresses that you are putting down.
Not necessarily, the actresses were there before I started watching them lol. So I watch because they are there to be watched. It’s not vice versa