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Will a suitably qualified health expert be present at this meeting?
If not, what is the point of it?

Its basically a DNA test that shows HIV earlier than the current standard type test. I'm not aware of it being offered anywhere in the UK - but if it were available anywhere, I assume it would be extrotionately expensive.

Good point Seymour, Jack Horny also makes some valid observations in his posts which make a lot of sense & with which I whole heartedly agree.

"Over the last few weeks there has been a lot of talk from performers and producers with regards the need for everyone to be fully tested for HIV & STD every 30 days".
WHY? is there a "secret" problem out there that we don't know about?

Or perhaps on a more cynical note, is there not just a smidge of self interest from the originator of the idea seeking to narrow the field & exclude the "unworthy?"
Perhaps I'm getting too old, certainly very cynical but I find the sudden rush for PC a little puzzling or is this a ploy to prepare us for May & the much advertised flood of "Euro girls" with dubious medical backgrounds & a much vaunted unending ability to please.

I'm NOT against the 30 day standard in theory. I think it's positive, pro-active and for the good...

BUT - I ask the question - why settle on 30-days? What have been the problems with 90-days that 30-days is going to solve? Have there been problems with 90-day certs?

I'll say it again - I'm not against 30-day testing IN THEORY - not one bit. The problem as I see it is that the UK testing/certification infrastructure isn't capable of catering for it. Before such a stadard is applied and accepted as the "UK Industry Standard" we need to be sure that people are going to be able to obtain the certificates... And to do that, I personally think the first port of call is the medical establishment.

What I'd like to see come out if the meeting is this;

That "the Industry" as a collective confronts the medical establishment and says - 'look, we're trying to keep our house in order - we're trying to be professional and responsible but the establishment is frustrating us and preventing us from doing so. If people within the industry pick up a nasty - it is the medical establishment that ultimately deals with it - therefore, to that end, we call upon them to assist us in bringing in a 30-day standard'

And I genuinely feel that is the only way that this rule can come about - if the medical establishment work WITH the industry to bring it about.

Now if I'm seen as being negative, ignorant and a slur on the industry - well... so be it - but I am simply looking at it from a realistic point of view.

Are you going to monitor the girls that work as escorts at night, then turn up for work the next day, how valid are the tests then?

Marino,
Legimate escorts who work for for legitimate agencies, ALWAYS use condoms.

Some years ago when Paramount was the major agency a problem came to my attention:
Girls would be booked by a snapper who would invest his time and money only to discover that on presentation of his sets to the Publisher he would be told something like "Sorry we already have this girl".

My solution was simple:
Ask all girls what work they had done and for whom.
I personally would want a simple phone call from a photog saying that he had shot this or that girl. Thus creating a simple data base.
This was of no financial advantage to myself, simply a service of convenience.
All the pro photographers, said "YEA, YES, GREAT idea, save us tons of money, aggro etc.

Result:Few bothered and it faded into the mists of time.

The moral of this little anecdote is that with the greatest will in the world, NO-ONE is ever going to do/comply with what is suggested herein, simply because of human nature.

Peter

I agree with some of your points about models needing to act more like a professional. I think this will help train there minds to taking this job serious and doing the job they are paid to do and that includes turning up on time with the right outfits.

There are some great models out there and I hope that this will bring the others up.

If everybody works together there will be no reason to cancel a shoot as everyone will have the paperwork needed, but why should model take the time to go and get tested and risk picking up a STD from a model who has not bothered getting a test. Who is the professional one then?

Regards

Jason

Marcus you are talking absolute bollocks, and you know it dont take me for a prick, yes alot of girls dont, but alot do and have, If i was the type i could name them now, and if you want bring the punters to the table too.