Introduction to the Code of Practice

Whilst all sex can carry some risk of the transmission of STIs, some sexual practices are riskier than others. The Code of Practice is intended to give models and producers an understanding of  the relative risks associated with the sexual practices depicted on screen and to minimise the risks to the models involved.

The Code is aimed to minimise these risks and for both producers and models to understand the significance of window periods for serious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis.

Where producers don't use condoms for the shooting of bareback sex, and rely on the certificates described below it is important that both producers and models understand the need for an honest and accurate disclosure of sexual history and the limitations of certificates.

Certificates can only indicate definitive HIV negative status where no high risk sex has taken place in the previous three months (window period). HIV can be passed on as little as four days after it has been contracted and thus even a monthly testing system will be unreliable where models do not accurately report to producers and clinics their recent sexual history.

A reliance on certificates alone is only successful where models are fully honest and accurate about the kind of sex they have been having both for film shoots and in their private lives.

Producers who wish to minimize the risk of HIV transmission to their models are advised to use condoms for penetrative sex. GAIKISS recognises that many productions will continue to be bareback which makes adherence to the regular testing regime outlined in the Code of Practice of particular importance to lower (but not eliminate) risks