# Are porn stars physically damaged by their work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782 "2012-11-22T00:39:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/41 "2012-11-27T10:01:37Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > - but I’m also sure there’s preventative measures that can be put in place - same as in any other job. The way many US laws are written, with size limits to company duties, maybe a small porn producing company there does not need to have personnel dedicated to preventing injuries Certainly the personnel dedicated to preventing injuries in porn would definitely implement size limits in company duties. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/42 "2012-11-27T11:50:18Z")
What I meant was, there are many US laws which don’t apply if the company is small. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/43 "2012-11-27T12:20:44Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What I meant was, there are many US laws which don’t apply if the company is small. Plus, the entire “amateur” sub-genre is unregulated by definition. But I consider them to be more like community theatre or company-league softball than the professional workers. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/44 "2012-11-27T17:43:07Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What I meant was, there are many US laws which don’t apply if the company is small. I thought I was telling a witty humor-joke. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/45 "2012-11-27T18:03:24Z")
There was some kind of “Who wants to be a porn star” show on cable a few years back. A secondary story was about a shoot with a guy who had a pierced member going at it with a girl. She suddenly started bleeding. Not that time of the month, her cervix had been lacerated. There are plenty of injuries in mainstream acting and entertainment too. Stunts gone wrong, Vic Morrow dying, Ann Margaret falling off a stage. Life has it’s perils. ---
**Author:** ![GHIGGS1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ghiggs1/32/11828_2.png) [@GHIGGS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHIGGS1)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/46 "2022-08-27T10:42:43Z")
You’re forgetting an overly large penis will ONLY be contained at the cervix. The average vaginal barrel is usually 6-8 inches in depth. A baby is coming out of the uterus only ONCE! Intercourse lasts longer. Additionally, the intercourse scenes are extended with multiple takes and spliced together to present an exceptionally longer scene. The female performers often must stop due to exceptional pain and discomfort; not just from the intercourse, but also maintaining uncomfortably, unnatural positions, cramps, and just plain exhaustion! Unnaturally, large male members also bruise the cervix with prolonged and vigorous thrusting. Also, abdominal bruising and trauma often result from the kinetic force propelled into the abdominal cavity from rougher and prolonged intercourse. Add to that the frequency which the women appear on set without reasonable recovery time and you’ll see more injuries present as well as chronic fatigue and exhaustion, which eventually compromises the immune system, and then significant incident of illnesses begin to present. Additionally, these factors multiply with the higher incidence of anal intercourse and rough oral “Throating” which causes both rectal and laryngial trauma. Ive read documented statements how little female performers are monetarily compensated and how they must resign themselves to inhumanly grueling schedules with little to virtually no recovery time. Add to the fact, these performers have agent representatives who exact up to 50% of the performers fees; forcing these women to perform at least 25 days out of each month in order for their income to meet their daily expenses. Another factor is how female performers are offered more compensation for performing more extreme acts such as anal intercourse and “throating.” This puts much higher physical, emotional, and psychological liabilities on the women, which can even result in lifelong medical/psychological injury or complications. And NONE of the porn production companies provide ANY medical benefits to the performers. Internal injuries such as anal prolapses, laryngial inflammation and bruising, cervical trauma are not covered for the performers; forcing themselves to pay out-of-pocket for their own medical expenses. To say nothing of the emotional/psychological damage many of these women suffer. This often results in an extremely high turnover rate in this “industry” which has literally industrialized the very insides of these womens’ bodies! The average life-expectancy of any female performer new to this occupation is 6-8 months, often causing unsustainable activity, physical, and prolonged post-traumatic complications. Drug addiction is another liability as these women resort to use of narcotic substances in order for them to tolerate the pain and exceptional exertion required to “Perform.” Some women are more resilient than others and manage to find ways to cope with the demands of their chosen profession such as alternate means of income such as internet web-camming, or starting their own production companies and marketing to decrease the amount of trauma and time on film sets. It’s a very hard and unforgiving industry. Additionally, many female performers enter into porn not fully comprehending the long term affects it will have on their lives; professionally, personally, and in their families and communities. The social stigmata of a porn past is far-reaching and has often resulted in loss of employment in another occupation such as teaching, nursing, business careers after these women have long since transitioned out of their tenures working in the porn industry. One wonders, … Are ANY of these complications worth seeking careers in porn? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/47 "2022-08-27T13:25:52Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Next you’ll try to tell me that no one actually gets shot during an action movie. Well that didn’t age well. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782/48 "2022-08-27T21:55:20Z")
It wasn’t all that accurate when first posted. Jon-Erik Hexum 1984 Brandon Lee 1994 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-porn-stars-physically-damaged-by-their-work/641782.md?page=2)