O/T? Testing/Cert Requirements...

[John]

A week or two ago, the "shortage of UK studs" subject was raised on this board. All of a sudden I found myself rushing headlong into the industry I have had an interest in for many years yet believed I there was no place in it for guys like me...

Anyway, top and bottom of it is... I'm about to arrange for a cert this week, only, what do I need... Is it just a HIV cert? Or is it the full screening?

I've been given the details for 2 or 3 places... one of them being the Regents Park Clinic. I found their website (http://www.regentsparkclinic.com) and checked out the fees. Now I was told it was ?60 first test, ?45 thereafter - but according to the site - that is for HIV only... It's close on ?200 for the full works!

So just what is required for work in the industry?

John
ukfyrfyter@aol.com

[rob]

Your local hospital ( genito-urinary dept) will do it for around a tenner and they check for all sexually transmitted diseases

[Ace]

They do it for free, its the certificate that costs from ?30 - ?50.

[Sam]

Sorry but I have to disagree. Most GU clinics will not issue a cert if you tell them the truth as to what it is for. They will refer you to a private clinic, i.e Regents Park or Harley Street. This issue has been raised with the NHS, hence the reason for the clinic at Hammersmith.

As I have mentioned before there is a completely FREE clinic at Hammersmith, where you get a full screen and HIV and cert and all for FREE. The staff probably know more about what you as performers are up to then you do yourselves, and they won't take the normal stigma type view that other places do.

For goodness sake, there are free services available to you, please use them. It's what we pay our taxes and NI for. Just because you work in porn it doesn't mean to say that you aren't entitled to the same health care as very other citizen of this country.

[Ace]

I had absolutely NO problem securing a certificate after telling them it was needed for a photo shoot. I was quite chuffed telling them why I needed it.

[magoo]

Er, NO Sam. It is a business expense and therefor should be paid for privately (possibly tax deductable-ask your local IR office). Local clap clinics are under enough pressure.

If a builder has to pay for his Health & Safety Cert then why should pornfolk get thiers free???

[Crimpo]

I take your point Magoo but I'd put it the other way - why should the builder have to pay?