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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Porn Actress Says State Intruded on Privacy

ALAMEDA, Calif. (CN) - A porn film actress whose positive HIV test made news in June claims state health officials violated her rights by demanding her medical records. Filing her complaint under the name "Patient Zero," the woman sued California OSHA and the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation.

Zero claims that after she tested positive for HIV, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health subpoenaed her health care provider for her records and personal information, in violation of her right to privacy.

She says that in June the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM), which provides health care to sex workers, told her she had preliminarily tested positive for HIV. She says the Foundation quarantined her and everyone known to have had sexual contact with her, and reported her case to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Cal/OSHA then conducted a surprise inspection of AIM and demanded the medical records of HIV patients, including Patient Zero, but AIM staff refused, she says.

After the inspection, she says, her attorney learned that Cal/OSHA was meeting with the medical facility's staff to try to get the records of patients with HIV.

She says her attorney wrote a letter asking that OSHA respect the actress's privacy when conducting the interviews. OSHA did not respond, though it confirmed receipt of the letter.

The actress says some of the news reports in June contained her true name and other identifying information. She demands damages for civil rights and constitutional violations, and violations of the health and safety code.

She is represented by Lori Rifkin and Elizabeth Gill with the American Civil Liberties Union.

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