Shannin Writes in:
Jesus they [AVN] stole a whole premise off of your site and never even once linked to it or referenced it, even Luke Ford has more journalistic integrity than that.
Beater writes:
Mike can you post this on your site “Dear Sharon Mitchell it is easy to see you have no conscience when it comes to people’s health or the safety of others. This is not only a porn issue but a world issue. No one wants to die doing a job no matter what it is. Only question I have for her is “Have you ever had any friends of yours die of AIDS? Ever gone to see them on there final days? If you saw the pain and suffering I think you would change your tune” Well I have lost 3 friends and what Mike says is true AIDS is and should be only a relative concern by comparison to other STDs… To everyone reading Mike’s Site if your in the porn business or not remember its up to you to stay safe.
just my 2 cents…
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Barbara Ehrenreich:
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Vaclav Havel:
You do not become a “dissident” just because you decide one day to take up this most unusual career. You are thrown into it by your personal sense of responsibility, combined with a complex set of external circumstances. You are cast out of the existing structures and placed in a position of conflict with them. It begins as an attempt to do your work well, and ends with being branded an enemy of society.
Archibald Macleish:
The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
Of Advice and Dissent:
Las week I was contacted by AVN with a request to interview Sharon Mitchell of AIM. I agreed and submitted 20 questions with an agreement to allow one set of follow up questions.
These were my 20 Questions for Sharon:
1. How did AIM come into being? What is your mission statement?
2. What are your qualifications? What are the qualifications of Dr York?
3. Why did AIM move from the ELISA Test to the current RT-PCR Test?
4. When AIM was administering the ELISA Test how many performers actually tested negative when they actually were positive?
5. Explain How the RT-PCR Test works?
6. If someone tests positive with the RT-PCR Test what happens next?
7. What happened next when someone tests Positive with the ELISA Test?
8. Can the RT-PCR test give a false negative? If so what might cause that?
9. What does the Centers for Disease Control say about using the RT-PCR Test as a screen for HIV? The AIDS Foundation?
10. Does AIM do other STD Testing?
11. How could someone with an Ovarian Cyst, be diagnosed by Dr. York as having Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?
12. How could people be diagnosed by Dr. York as having Hepatitis C, When a liver test indicates normal liver function? How could these persons have found out after seeing a specialist that they never had Hepatitis C? In one case the girl thought for almost 5 years that she had Hepatitis C then learned she likely never did?
13. Why doesn’t World Modeling Support AIM? Digital Playground?
14. Recently Rick Pierce tried to start a new testing clinic catering to the industry, you vehemently opposed this, why?
15. Did you rally support within the industry by having his booth evicted from the Erotica LA Show and by approaching companies within the industry to ONLY accept your tests? Does this not bring up fair trade issues? If a testing lab is certified then why wouldn’t its’ tests be as good as yours?
16. Considering that AIM uses only a test that is not recognized by medical professionals and experts on HIV as being a valid screen for HIV, why is there no negligence on your part? How could you put up a defense in the event that a performer contracts HIV from someone you tested as “clean” then files civil litigation and names you and one of the companies that only accepts your tests as being valid?
17. How would you answer critics who have stated that the reason you support the RT-PCR Test is because you make more money administering that test than you do administering the ELISA test?
18. Why is it you had no problems telling everyone that Jonathon Stern and Tabitha Stern, who work together exclusively, had forged a test but when a popular male performer was said to be carrying both Chlamydia and Gonnorhea you wouldn’t tell others who he was?
19. John Stagliano, Tricia Devereaux, and Tony Montana all state that they now test negative on the RT-PCR Test and if no one knew who they were, would be cleared to work in porn by AIM tomorrow, are they cured? Could they not pass HIV to someone else?
20. Mark Wallice forged his HIV test and infected at least 4 or 5 female performers with HIV. In your opinion should he have been charged with a criminal act? Why or why not?
Late last week I was asked by performer Aphrodite to explain the difference between the ELISA and the RT PCR test. I have been expressing my opinions on all of this in an authoritative manner and I felt a moral obligation to answer her questions to the best of my ability.
AVN felt this a breach of the exclusivity of the interview that I had promised them, I apologize if they felt this way, that was clearly not my intention, indeed I considered the fact that answering Aphroditie would “tip my hand” and in reality it did, they responded with a front page article on www.avn.com
The article was authored by Sharon Mitchell and Mark Kernes. I will not repost that article here but I encourage you to read it because I am going to reference it.
You will note after reading it that the article is more of a response to my response to Aphrodite than it is to my questions. This is one of the hallmarks of Mark Kernes. Magicians call it misdirection, politicians call it spin and journalists call it obfuscation. Southerners have a more succinct term for it.
Most of my questions went completely unanswered. Why? I don’t know, that is for you to decide.
Mark Kernes: When Mike South says, “RT-PCR,” that’s incomplete? It has to say either RT-PCR-DNA or RT-PCR-RNA?
Mitchell: That’s correct, and we do the PCR-DNA, not the PCR-RNA.
I contacted Roche labs, they own the patent for the RT-PCR test and I asked for clarification. This is what they sent to me:
PCR for HIV RNA
By targeting a specific sequence of HIV’s genetic code, PCR can be used to amplify and then measure the amount of HIV genetic code in the plasma of an individual, which is characteristic of the amount of virus in an individual’s blood.HIV’s genetic code is present as RNA – Ribonucleic Acid. This is similar to DNA but there are some differences. RNA, for instance, can be single stranded, has a different sugar in its ladder structure and contains the base Uracil instead of Thymine. Before PCR can begin, the viral RNA must be converted to a complementary strand of DNA. This is know as reverse transcription (RT).
HIV: RNA to DNA
The single strand of HIV RNA has unpaired bases which are free to bind to new matching bases. This will not happen spontaneously and a primer must start the process. A small sequence of single stranded DNA, which is specific to a target sequence of the viral RNA, is included in the PCR solution.Once the primer has bound to the viral RNA, new bases will begin to bind to the primer and extend the new DNA strand. An enzyme is needed to assist in this binding process, in this case rTth DNA Polymerase.The bases being bound to the DNA primer already have sugar and phosphate groups attached to them, so a new ladder is built as new bases are added on.This continues until a new DNA strand has been produced. This results in a double stranded structure combining one strand of viral RNA and one strand of complementary DNA (cDNA).
HIV: DENATURATION
Once DNA is present the PCR process can begin. The new combined RNA / cDNA strand is “unzipped” by heat revealing the DNA bases ready for pairing.
HIV: ANNEALING AND EXTENSION
DNA primer, complementary to the target sequence of cDNA, is contained in the PCR solution. Once the primer has bound to the cDNA, new bases will begin to bind and extend the DNA strand.In PCR involving HIV, the enzyme rTth DNA Polymerase also promotes extension of the DNA.This continues until a new target sequence has been produced, resulting in two double stranded DNA molecules from one original.Microwell Plate The AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR™ is a semi automated system which includes the HIV PCR process. From a small amount of viral RNA extracted from plasma, the AMPLICOR® system will perform reverse transcription and PCR, measure the number of copies of the viral genetic code produced and calculate the original amount of RNA present ie. the amount of viral RNA, and therefore virus, in the plasma.COBAS AMPLICOR™Roche Diagnostics is currently developing a fully automated HIV viral load test. The new systems will fully automate all the steps of measuring the HIV viral load in a sample. This will mean that more tests can be carried out at the same time.
Now what this means is that RT-PCR-DNA and RT-PCR-RNA are the same thing. Reverse Transcription is the process by which you take RNA and produce cDNA.
South: The problem with these tests is that they are only accurate to about forty parts per million, below that point the virus is undetectable. Someone who has HIV and has been on protease inhibitor drugs can fall well below this level and the tests determine them to be HIV Negative which they clearly are not. They are also most certainly still capable of passing on the virus to someone else.
Mitchell: That’s all correct, bearing in mind that “forty parts per million” is equivalent of 400 copies per milliliter [see below], but it refers to the PCR-RNA test.
At this point Sharon says that everything that I am maintaining is “all correct” so WHERE exactly is the argument? I am maintaining that the current testing proceedures are inadequate because of this.
Kernes: So an ELISA test and a PCR-RNA are really about the same in the sense —
Mitchell: No. One’s an antibody test and one’s a viral load test; they’re two entirely different things, but they’re not effective for this population when dealing with monitoring.
I was good enough to give you people my source (The AIDS Foundation) that states that the ELISA test is entirely effective for this population, where does Sharon Mitchell get her information?
Kernes: Why would you give the PCR-DNA in preference to the ELISA test or the PCR-RNA test?
Mitchell: Because of the window period. It’s not three weeks; it can be minimum six weeks to as long as six months, and that’s most of the time. Young, healthy people, for the antibody to mature, could take a lot longer than your average Joe, and we’re dealing with young, healthy people between the ages of 18 and 25. And also remember, we’re monitoring for the HIV disease every 30 days. That’s key here. It’s a monitoring system.
This is clear misdirection, again I give my source for my information what is hers? The numbers she is quoting are entirely arbitrary
Kernes: Is the ELISA test the only test that’s recognized by the CDC or the AIDS Foundation as a valid HIV screen?
Mitchell: I don’t know.
That is a complete lie, plain and simple. I have emailed Sharon with this question numerous times, she has refused to answer every time. I have quoted both the CDC and the AIDS Foundation verbatim on this site. Not only that I have quoted them as to WHY it is not a valid HIV screen.
BC a professional who designs nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests had this to say about that.
“–> She should know! It seems they haven’t consulted with the body regarded as the World’s authority on infectious diseases. This is a dereliction of duty regardless of whether they have come up with the appropriate solution for routine screening.”
He also make the following points:
“–>She is right in highlighting the differences between porn prformers to everyday people but the question is: Is the solution AIM has come up with the right one? I don’t think she can say that this system has successfully kept AIDS out of porn. AFAIK, HIV cases in porn are sporadic and not common. It may be that the next potential case is right around the corner and the system in place is not the right one to keep it out.”
***Mitchell: He’s got the wrong facts. PCR-DNA is the one that will always show the virus. PCR-RNA is the one that hides the virus. I’ve got the proof right here.
[Note: To support her statements, Mitchell produced two tests given to the same HIV-positive individual who is currently taking protease inhibitors, the standard treatment for HIV: A PCR-RNA test, which indicates that the individual is “Within Range Result” with “Fewer than 400 copies/ml” of the virus, which would indicate to a physician who had no idea of the person’s actual HIV status that the person was HIV negative; and a PCR-DNA test, which indicates that the person is “Outside of Reference Range” and is “Positive” for HIV.]
–>Mike, her argument is BULLSHIT, dangerous and something I regard as criminally negligent. This is GARBAGE to the extreme.
He goes on to explain why in a manner that I dont fully comprehend and finishes with this.
She cannot use this study to justify her arguments – its bloody criminal and in no way representative of a porn performer or the situation that the argument is about. There is no context provided for the documents she produced so they cannot be provided as proof of anything.
His point being that this isolated case is meaningless in every sense of the word because it doesn’t prove anything.
and finally he remarks:
***Kernes: And on the PCR-DNA, the virus can show up within seven days?
Mitchell: No. Let’s say minimum 14, to 30. We’ve seen it at 14 days.
Kernes: But it will definitely show itself by 30 days?
Mitchell: Absolutely.
–> Holy shit! She’s just shot herself in the foot. Here we have a minimum 30 days for integration of DNA. this means that the safe window for the PCR (DNA) test is 30 PLUS days. This means that it does not catch the initial infection and that it is completely unsuitable for routine monitoring of established porn stars. How many times a month does a woodsman work? With how many partners? What about the most active starlets? 30 days is not adequate for the routine screening of these people. They are the most likely to contract and spread HIV. RTPCR and ELISA will pick up NEWLY infected people (not on protease inhibitors) much more rapidly than this and this is the crux of the argument.
I know that this is long and to many of you very bland reading. But if this is something that concerns you I urge you not to take my word for it or anyone elses. Learn the truth and govern yourself accordingly. Do not put blind trust in anyone when it comes to your health.
The reality is that HIV, while deadly in some cases, is and should be only a relative concern by comparison to other STDs. Take resposibility for your own health and your own life.
I have been advised by people in the industry that I should just drop this issue, forget about it and let porn do what porn has always done. That is not my nature. I do not wish to ire anyone at AVN, I even personally like Sharon Mitchell. If I can raise issues that cause this industry to better its treatment of its most valuable asset, the performers, then I will do it. If I am “exiled” as some have predicted I will be then I face that with a clear conscience.
Brandon Blackwell Fired:
Hey did you hear this one? He was pretty nice to me, but I think he’s a piece of shit anyway.
Brandon Blackwell, from Michael Ninn, fired for not only telling girls they needed to fuck him or whatever for the part but also for overwriting invoices and pocketing the differences. I guess one girl filed suit, or filed a complaint, and 2-3 more followed. He owes everyone money but is still making big promises.
Anyway, I’ve known for awhile, but the more and more I hear the more I beleive everyone else and not him–he said he left for creative differences.
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