For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org
AIDS
PROJECT LOS ANGELES SUPPORTS ORDINANCE REGULATING
L.A. BATHHOUSES
Los Angeles, CA, September 7, 2004 – AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) today offered support of an ordinance passed on first hearing by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to closely monitor and regulate HIV prevention and testing activities in the County’s 11 commercial sex venues (CSV), including bathhouses and sex clubs.
A motion approved in February by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had required the County Department of Health Services to recommend improvements to the County’s ordinance regulating bathhouses to strengthen HIV/STD prevention activities and develop operational guidelines.
The proposed ordinance defines commercial sex venues (CSV) more precisely, include sex clubs in the new definition, and creates a new class of public health licenses for CSV. Accompanying guidelines contain detailed regulations for CSV, including the requirement that owners provide condoms and lubricant and offer and pay for HIV/STD testing personnel costs.
“After a year of stakeholder dialogue, we support an ordinance that promotes HIV harm reduction activities in bathhouses and sex clubs and establishes shared expectations,” said Lee Klosinski, APLA’s Director of Programs. “Consumers will benefit from the ordinance and guidelines, since they require all CSV owners to implement best practices, ensuring that essential prevention supplies like condoms, lube, and HIV/STD testing are freely and discreetly available to patrons of every club.”
“CSV’s are not drivers of the HIV epidemic among gay men and keeping them open is a significant harm reduction strategy,” added Dr. Klosinski. “Ultimately, it is up to consumers to make healthy choices in an environment that maintains safer sex as a behavioral norm. This ordinance is a significant step in that direction.”
AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides bilingual direct services to more than 6,100 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County each year. Services include prevention education, food banks and nutrition education, professional dental care, mental health counseling, housing and transportation assistance, information and referral services, case management and home health care. APLA is a leader in the development of HIV prevention programs, and helps shape fair and effective HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation in response to the local, national and international epidemics. For more information, please visit www.apla.org.
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