Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
LOS ANGELES TIMES (LT) - FRIDAY August 19, 1988 Edition: Home Edition Section: ONE Page: 37 Pt. 1 Col. 1 Word Count: 414
Noel K. Wilson; Times Staff Writer
The legislation, approved on a 22-0 vote without debate and returned to the Assembly for concurrence in amendments, is intended to bolster local bathhouse regulations adopted in Los Angeles, San Diego and other communities where gay bathhouses continue to operate and the incidence of AIDS has been on the rise.
Under the bill, local officials could shut down bathhouses if they produce evidence on a case-by-case basis that the bathhouses are encouraging or permitting high-risk behavior. In Los Angeles, the county Board of Supervisors voted in January to prohibit anal or vaginal intercourse and oral copulation at the bathhouses. The local regulations also limit private rooms to one person at a time.
'Providing a Tool'
Assemblyman Bill Bradley (R-San Marcos), author of the legislation, said he saw the bill as "providing a tool" to local health officials to close down bathhouses. "San Diego seemed to be reluctant to close them down, so I thought I would just pass a statewide bill," he said.
"Bathhouses are the same as prostitution," Bradley said, and although "money doesn't change hands . . . the end product is the same."
The Los Angeles County ordinance is being challenged in court by the owners of two bathhouses, Mac's in the Silver Lake Area and the Hollywood Spa in Hollywood. The action came after Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner threatened to shut them down for violation of the county ban on anal and oral sex in bathhouses. In Los Angeles, there are 12 licensed bathhouses in operation, compared to the more than 25 that operated before the AIDS outbreak. Officials estimate that the 12 bathhouses cater to from 2,000 to 4,000 customers a week.
A 1986 study on the clientele and culture of bathhouses in Los Angeles by the UCLA School of Public Health found that of the 807 men interviewed, 10% acknowledged having unprotected anal intercourse--the type of behavior that experts say poses the highest risk of spreading the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV).
An additional 61% of the men said they had participated in sexual practices said by researchers to pose varying, but generally lesser risk. The remainder of those interviewed reported no sexual contact. The study was funded by a grant from the Los Angeles County Bathhouse Owners' Assn.
Copyright © 1988 - Los Angeles Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Los Angeles Times, Permissions, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. http://www.latimes.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1988. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1988. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .