January 24, 2013 06:14am
STD Check Joins Group
Source: Adult Industry News
by: Rich Moreland
STD Check Joins Testing Group, by Rich Moreland, AINews Columnist
In an effort to make blood testing more convenient and workable for everyone in the industry, the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has labored diligently to bring together testing services that will make everyone’s job easier.
Adult Production Health and Safety Services (APHSS) now operates a data base that gives performers a green light to shoot or a red light that indicates test results are inadequate and need to be updated. A red light will not give reasons for the performer’s status, though according to Joanne Cachapero, FSC’s Membership Director, such reasons could be anything from being on vacation and letting a test lapse to not working and forgetting to update a test. Of course, an STD will also raise a red flag, but the data base will not carry that information. For the performer privacy is guaranteed.
Performers must sign off on test results to verify them. As mentioned above, FSC’s data base will not carry any information other than the red or green light. Cachapero also said that agents/producers and anyone else in the loop are strongly urged not to keep test results. An AIM-like takedown must be avoided.
In our conversation in Vegas last week, I asked Cachapero what she thought about the industry moving to Nevada. That’s always possible, she said, and APHSS has set up testing facilities there just in case.
For readers who may not know, APHSS approved testing facilities are AMTC (Advanced Medical Testing Center), Cutting Edge Testing (CET), STD Testing Clinics, and STD Check.
While in Vegas, I spent a few minutes talking with Michelle Leon of STD Check. The company operates over 2,000 testing sites nationwide and has two divisions, STD Check for the general population and STD Check for adult film personnel. STD Check is the new kid on the block in adult though the company is not new to medical testing.
"We’ve been doing the general public for over two years," Leon said, "And we’ve been testing the adult industry since August of 2012."
The Texas-based company assures all performers that privacy is their number one concern. "No one will see our results but you" is highlighted in the company flyer.
Michelle Leon specifies what the procedure for STD Check test results.
"We do update each [performer] result in the APHSS system," she says. Sending results to producers and agents is prevented due to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. "This where the APHSS database comes into play," she adds.
Performers get personal copies to keep. It’s their choice if they wish to show them to agents, directors, or producers.
There is a short turnaround of one to three days with a fourth sometimes needed, though that is extremely rare.
STD Check maintains "A great relationship with LabCorp," Leon says. "The lab has worked with us directly to get results out even quicker."
Incidentally, a physician is available for consultation through STD Check should the performer want to go that route. Best of all, no appointment is necessary.
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