Production Hold To Lift After Retests
On Monday, December 12, PASS will lift the production hold. All performers will need to retest for chlamydia and gonorrhea on or after Monday, December 12 - this will likely means no one will be cleared to work until at least Tuesday, December 13 depending on when results are available. Performers and creators who test clear on Monday or after can return to work.
Whether or not you currently work within the PASS system, or in studio productions, we ask that you retest, and that you make sure any potential partners have also retested. This recent rise in bacterial infections was unusual and concerning. While no system can ever be perfect, we are hopeful that the hold and retest will help identify and reduce the risk of transmission significantly.
In addition to the standard urine tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea, we recommend that performers and creators also seek oral and rectal (throat and butt) swab tests. While swabs are not currently part of the PASS panel — they can be both prohibitively expensive and are not available everywhere — they can help identify and prevent transmission, as a urine test may not detect infections in the throat or butt. We suggest asking that any partners also be swabbed in addition to tested.
We are currently seeking ways to include swabbing in the testing protocol with the PASS testing partners and to make it more accessible. We have spoken with many of you in the past week, and are encouraged by your eagerness to work with PASS to find a solution.
We thank everyone in the industry for their cooperation. We understand that production holds are difficult for performers, producers, and agents alike, and appreciate your commitment to the safety and well-being of our workers.
What is going to happen with swabbing?
Over the past week, we have heard a resounding demand from talent to add oral and rectal swabbing to industry testing protocol. PASS is working with industry stakeholders, including our testing partners, to develop an implementation timeline.
Where can I get swabbed?
Currently, some PASS testing partners offer oral and/or anal swabs for an additional fee. You will need to request these in addition to your typical panel. We are currently working with all of PASS’s current testing partners to make swabbing available. If your testing service does not offer swabbing, or you can not afford the additional cost, we encourage you to visit your community health centers or public health clinics to access free or low-cost swabbing options. We realize this is not a sustainable solution, but can be used as a stop-gap until the testing protocol can be updated.
Can I require swabbing from my scene partners?
Yes! While PASS sets standard testing guidelines for the industry as a matter of community health, you are always allowed to make additional requests for what you need to feel safe on set. However, as this is not currently part of PASS, this means you will need to review an individual’s actual test results yourself in order to discern whether or not they were tested, as we currently do not have the infrastructure to support that kind of verification within the PASS system.
Current PASS Testing Partners
TBD Health also offers at-home swabbing test kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea for $112 for folks living in Florida, Washingoton, Nevada, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
