As of current, the minimum age to perform in pornographic content in the United States of America is only 18 years old even though an individual generally can not legally consume alchohol in America until they are a minimum of 21 years old (due to the action contributing to "public health problems" according to the United States Center for Disease Control : http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/mlda.htm ).I am under the belief that the minimum age to perform in pornographic media (adult content) needs to be raised to at least 21 years old as well considering that the act of appearing in pornographic content is often a decision that dramatically alters the course of an individual's life in the following ways:
1) Personally (once an individual performs in an adult movie, the general public's perception more often than not of the individual is viewed negatively)
2) Psychologically (individuals who leave the porn industry often suffer from a form of post traumatic stress disorder)
3) Professionally (future employment prospects are dramatically minimalized after having appeared in pornographic content)
4) Physiologically (the majority of pornographic industry performers contract both curable and incurable sexually transmitted diseases and infections such as Herpes, Chlamydia and HIV - which can easily be spread to the general public which creates a major public health risk)
As of current, I believe the demand for pornographic actors and actresses under the age of 21 is a result of the pornographic industry capitalizing off of the "barely legal" and/or "teen" genera of adult content which is rooted in the crime of pedophilia (child abuse, child pornography and child sextrafficking). In fact, the "political face" of the pornographic industry (the Free Speech Coalition) was found to be affiliated with an internationally known convicted pedophile (who at the time was attached to the Libertarian Party of Nevada) and attorneys who openly defend "pedophiles rights".
As of recent (October 4, 2013), a top pornographer by the name of Axel Braun announced that he would no longer film women under the age of 21 for sexually explicit roles. A well known adult entertainment industry blogger by the name ofMike South (who has been profiled by CNBC) stated that "in many ways" he agreed with Axel Braun's stance on the issue.
According to recent neurological studies (documented by the University of Rochester medical center and leading psychiatrists such as Jay Geidd), the human brain does not fully mature until approximately the age of 25, so from my perspective an individual is not physiologically capable of making a mature and rational decision as to whether or not to perform in pornographic content at the age of 18.
I believe the only reason this issue hasn't been addressed more adamantly in the past is due to those who control the economics of the pornographic industry routinely putting profits above the health, well being and safety of pornographic industry performers (a routine practice that California Assemblymember Isadore Hall III noted many times throughout his efforts to pass legislation such as AB1576 which would have dramatically protected the health, safety and lives of countless pornographic industry performers).
As both an active performer and an ex pornstar, I have witnessed and spoken with several individuals who entered the pornographic industry under the age of 21 who I do not believe would have made the decision to perform in pornographic content were they presented with the opportunity at a later age. Please sign this petition and help make a positive change in the lives of thousands of young people who are reliant on the laws of the United States of America to protect them (due to not having anyone in their immediate lives to look after them) and our society as a whole.
