Business Ethics: An Ethical Examination of Condom Use in Pornography

This essay delves into the ethical issues surrounding the mandatory use of condoms in the pornography industry. It explores the ethical dilemma of balancing profit maximization with the health and safety of performers, addressing the risks of sexually transmitted diseases. The essay examines the arguments for and against mandatory condom use, referencing OSHA and AHF regulations, and analyzes the issue through ethical theories such as utilitarianism and Ross’s intuitionism. The essay proposes a resolution to the ethical dilemma and critiques it using deontological theory, considering issues of autonomy and pleasure. Ultimately, it defends the proposed solution by emphasizing the importance of performer safety and public health education, arguing that the adult industry has an ethical responsibility to protect its performers and promote safe sex practices, even if it impacts profitability. The essay concludes that the use of condoms in pornography is essential for creating awareness among young people about safe sex.

business ethics
[Document subtitle]

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Mandatory use of Condoms in Porn
Introduction
The adult industry requires the regulations for the porn stars in order to use the hedge methods
like condoms to preclude the transmission of various sexually transmitted diseases and the
infections. It has been researching that if such regulation passes then also the adult industry will
not follow and implement them because of the profit maximization. Further, according to the
people of adult industry, the regulation will not only make the usage of the condoms necessary
but would also make it incumbent for the performers in order to wear the goggles and the masks
for face while shooting the scenes. Furthermore, according to the OSHA (occupational health
and safety) and the AHF ( the foundation of AIDS healthcare), the regulations will safeguard the
performers by getting the fluids of the body into the eyes and the face.
The usage of condoms in the adult industry is one the most controversial subject from the past
several years. Moreover, it is being observed that the porn stars who use condoms more
frequently are condemned and the blacklisted by the remaining industry. Further, the report will
help in understanding the issue of business ethics at stake, and how the ethical dilemma can be
solved and the proposed solution will be criticized and defended by using various ethical
theories.

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Discussion
Ethical Issue
It has been observed that there is an ethical issue at stake by using the condom in the adult
industry. Further, the ethical issue that the legislators, consumers and the executives continue to
rejoice the revenue of tax, profits and the gratification from the porn films without even ensuring
the protection of the performers. The industries do not want to follow the regulation of using
condom, goggles and the face masks for the safety of the performers from the fluids of the body
as they are mainly interested that this will make the video unprofitable and unpalatable as this is
the biggest aspect of fantasy in order to sell the entertainment ("Breaking News and Opinion on
The Huffington Post", 2016). The directors of the adult industry are only concerned with
maximizing the profitability despite the safety of the performers from the sexually transmitted
diseases and even if the performs use the condom they are blacklisted from the industry.
Ethical Dilemma can be Resolved
It is being observed that it is very important to resolve the ethical dilemma at stake in order to
safeguard the performers of adult industry from the sexually transmitted diseases. Further, the
normative ethical theories are being used in order to solve the dilemma (Greenwood, M. 2013).
Firstly, Utilitarian theory as the Utilitarianism is the unique view which helps in determining that
what is right and what is wrong by the benefit of cost analysis. Further, this theory helps in
understanding that we should consider all the consequences whether they are good or bad while
deciding that the action is correct or wrong.

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Further, the directors of the adult industry should understand the consequences of their porn
films like in order to make the video successful the performers might get some diseases and the
infections which can affect the lives of the performers for the longer period of time. The
directors should ensure the health and the safety of the performer rather than only maximizing
the profitability. Furthermore, they should consider all the consequences of the action before
taking it. If the bad consequences are neglected, it might help in increasing profitability, but it
will surely impact the business adversely in the long run. So, the directors of the adult industry
should consider this theory will making videos in order to sell the entertainment.
Secondly, Ross’s intuitionism theory can be used in order to understand the morality. The theory
states that the good and the right was not meant to be compendious and understand what is right
and what is wrong in the situations and the moral progress can be accelerated by learning and
implementing the moral duties in order to balance the obligations of the conflicts and the values
("the US", 2016). Further, the directors of the adult industry should be aware of their moral
duties towards the performers like they should know their duty of fidelity, reparation, gratitude
and beneficence by keeping the health and the safety of the performers in mind. Furthermore,
this will help the adult industry to maximize the profitability, and they will be able to sell the
entertainment along with offering the high level of fantasy.
Therefore, the executive of the adult industry will be able to solve the ethical dilemma at stake
by using these ethical theories. Moreover, the adult industry should implement the regulation
given by the OSHA and AHF for the health and the safety of the performers so that they can be
protected from the various sexually transmitted diseases and the infections.

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Criticizing the Proposed Resolution
The above-given resolution will be criticized by using the deontological theory. Further, the
theory states that the action is more significant rather than consequences. The deontological
theory is the ethics of duty or obligation. It focuses on the various laws of morality which the
person should follow as a duty. Some act is being determined as right, and some act is being
determined as wrong by the guidelines of the socio-religion of the behavior in a particular
provided context. Furthermore, by applying the paradigm of deontological theory in order to
criticize the proposed resolution, the condom should not be used by the performers while making
videos because they are the actually educating people that how to gain pleasure and if they will
use the condom then they will not be able to gain pleasure to great level. Moreover, if the
pleasure is not gained then the customers will not be attracted in order to watch the videos and
the directors of the adult industry will not be able to maximize the profitability by selling the
entertainment.
If we talk about autonomy, then the individuals have a right in order to determine the conditions
and the circumstances in which they have fun and live. Further, the performers are frequently
tested in order to avoid the realm of paternalism. The business executives clearly know that how
to maintain the balance between the morality and the law. They do not force the performers to
act in such videos as they perform because of their own decision ("The Daily Dot", 2016).
Further, the adult industries do not use harmful products which can harm the performers rather
they use sex toys which help the viewers to maximize the level of pleasure as the sex toys are
used for the fantasies and further helps the adult industry to sell the entertainment by educating
and attracting the viewers.

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Therefore, it can be observed from this theory that the executives of the adult industry believe in
action only rather than its consequences. Their priority is to maximize the profitability, but they
also take care of the performers like their private parts do not get hurt because of the products
and as they are not supposed to use the condom in porn, the performers are being tested in order
to avoid paternalism.
Defending the Proposed Solution
It is significant to focus on the consequences before taking action as the safety, and the health of
the performers should be the first priority as they might get sexually transmitted diseases and the
infections. The business can also attain success if they think about their employees or the
performers (Hundreds Protest Proposed California Law Requiring the Use of Condoms in Porn.
2016). In this particular case, the legislators and the executives should be responsible and careful
with regard to performers in an ethical manner.
Further, to offer or achieve the benefit and the pleasure at the cost of someone’s dignity is not at
all correct. According to the research, only some of the directors of the film industry conduct
tests for the performers and most of the performers require the test at their own expenses. As a
result, they get various diseases, and some of the diseases leave a long-term effect on their lives.
Furthermore, in order to make the strategy effective to make the porn safe for the performers,
they should get the right information in order to take the decisions for themselves and should
identify the risk which will be associated with the particular behavior. If the condoms are not
used in porn, then they will adversely impact the sexual attitude and the behavior of the young
people.

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The adult industry should not only focus on maximizing the profitability by selling
entertainment, but they should also keep in mind that the porn plays the crucial role in educating
young people about sex and the pleasure. The adult industry should strictly perform the testing
for the performers for their well-being, and this can only be strengthened by the usage of
condoms. As the condom will help the performers by minimizing the risk by uncloaking the
performers to sexually transmitted diseases and they will be able to continue to work ("Alternet",
2016).
The biggest threat to the revenue of the porn industry are the scrum of the free sites, and if the
adult industry might not be able to achieve great success, then the usage of the condom would
not bankrupt the adult industry. Therefore, the adult industry should use the condom in porn in
an ethical way for the safety and the health of the performers and the also creating awareness
among the young people in order to have safe and healthy sex.

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Conclusion
Pornography has a great controversy history despite its ethical and the unethical nature. The
ethical porn means when the performers are being treated with respect, and also they are being
treated as humans not as workers by keeping the safety and the health of the performers in
consideration. Further, people are going to perform what they like whether they are being
persuaded by the traditions, culture, feelings of lust, etc. The report helps in understanding that
the condom should be used in porn in an ethical way as it is very important to create education
among young people about safe sex. The report helped in using various ethical theories in order
to resolve the ethical issue then the solution was being criticized and then it was being defended
by using strong evidence.

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REFERENCES
Alternet. (2016). Alternet. Retrieved 22 December 2016, from http://www.alternet.org/
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. (2016). Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 22
December 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Greenwood, M. (2013). Ethical analyses of HRM: A review and research agenda. Journal of
Business Ethics, 114(2), 355-366.
Hundreds Protest Proposed California Law Requiring the Use of Condoms in Porn. (2016).
Jezebel.com. Retrieved 9 December 2016, from http://jezebel.com/
The Daily Dot. (2016). The Daily Dot. Retrieved 22 December 2016, from
http://www.dailydot.com/
US. (2016). The Independent. Retrieved 22 December 2016, from http://www.independent.co.uk/