YNOT – Beginning Aug. 31, Adult Production Health & Safety Services will accept only one of two previously acceptable testing protocols for monitoring the HIV status of adult industry performers. Founded and overseen by adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition, APHSS is the organization that recommends best practices and tracks performer health status within the adult entertainment industry.

“Due to concerns raised by industry members, APHSS.org will accept only the Aptima HIV-1RNA Qualitative Assay test for monthly performer STI screening,” the organization announced Thursday in a prepared statement.

According to FSC Executive Director Diane Duke, the action follows interaction with industry members who expressed concern about the “off-label” use of the Abbot RealTime HIV 1 Assay HIV PCR test — the second test APHSS previously allowed.

“Though recommended to APHSS.org by experts for screening purposes, the Abbot test is not FDA-approved for diagnosis of acute — early — HIV infection,” Duke said. “In our research as to the best test for the industry there were expert doctors and pathologists that preferred the Abbot test, which is why we kept it on the list. But we heard from producers and performers that they would prefer only the Aptima test. All of the experts we spoke with said that both tests were appropriate, so Aptima it is.”

The Aptima test is FDA-approved for early diagnosis of HIV infection. It also has a nine- to 11-day “window period,” which shortens the time of accurate diagnosis, compared to a 14-day window for PCR-DNA tests previously used by APHSS and its predecessor, Adult Industry Medical Healthcare.

FSC developed the APHSS program to fill the void left by AIM’s 2011 closure. APHSS advocates industry self-regulation of performer testing and carries on with the protocols developed by AIM for handling sexually transmitted infection exposure incidents. The process includes notifying and assisting potentially affected performers and suggesting production moratoriums as necessary.

For more information about APHSS, its policies and procedures, visit APHSS.org or [email=joanne@freespeechcoalition.com]Joanne Cachapero[/email].