I was watching a talk show the other day, they had a professional skier on as a guest who in his early 30s is already considered an old timer in the game. He was talking about how his knees are basically finished.
I mean, the way he was talking it’s as if any day now his body would fail and he would crumble to the floor in a heap of brittle bones and torn ligaments. And this was someone who’s in peak physical shape.
Clearly, working out is good for your bod, but putting yourself through strenuous and repeated physical movement is harmful as fuck. Athletes aren’t the only people affected by this kind of body damage – hello! – pornstars also put their bodies through strenuous physical activity for a living.
The pains and tribulations of porn is something we hardly ever talk about, but XXX star Andre Shakti wrote an article called “No One in the Porn Industry Likes a Broken Vagina” for Rewire, which is about that very subject.
It’s a great read and I highly recommend it. It talks about the pressures porn can put on a body and how difficult it can be to get treatment due to lack of insurance. As Shakti puts it, pornstars are basically contract “sexual athletes” and as such they don’t get health coverage.
Even if pornstars did get appropriate coverage, it can be difficult to seek treatment in an industry where you have to appear to be in top physical form. Don’t even get me started on the way medical professionals treat sex workers if and when they do eventually get treatment!
Andre Shakti‘s pre-work routine is freaking hardcore:
I topped off my vitamin cocktail with a few citrus bioflavonoids, which are said to strengthen capillaries and reduce bruising, for good measure. While I ate, I strapped an ice pack and half a dozen therapeutic e-stim pads to the area around my right knee to reduce pain and inflammation from an old meniscus injury. Afterward, I spent 15 minutes stretching, then another 15 minutes strategically applying kinesiology tape to support my knee. Then I hopped in the shower, applying a face mask and a deep conditioning treatment to my hair while I diligently shaved my entire body.
After my shower, I laid on the cold linoleum floor of my bathroom and checked my genitals with a hand mirror to make sure I hadn’t missed any stray hairs. I then rehearsed my enema routine, alternating positions from floor to toilet for an additional 10 minutes until I was “cleaned out,” before shoving a few triangular makeup sponges up my vagina. I had gotten my period the day before, and this way I could still receive penetration without any visible blood or tampon strings. I precociously staged several bags of Epsom salts for my evening soak and texted my massage therapist to confirm our session the following afternoon. Finally, I tossed clothes on, grabbed a small suitcase, my knee brace, and my orthopedic cane, and fled out the front door to work.
You’d think Shakti was getting ready for a Rugby match. The physical demands of porn are freaking outrageous! I have a better understanding of what pornstars have to go through.
Just the other day, I was reading about Dani Daniels and how she chose to dial down the number of porn scenes she’s filming, because of the toll they were starting to take on her body after all these years. Obviously, she listed other reasons for dialing back on porn, but the body thing makes so much more sense now.
The reason I really like Andre Shakti’s article about the physical demands of porn and the stress being a sex worker can put on someone’s body is that she doesn’t just point out all the problems pornstars face, she actually lists solutions!
To sum it up, employers should offer better employment contracts including safer work conditions as well as workers comp; organizations offering health services to sex workers need better funding; medical professionals need to be educated on how to interact and treat sex workers; and the cost of health care needs to be more affordable for all marginalized groups. BAM! That’s it. Problem solved, sorta.
Via rewire.news – Follow Lola Byrd on Twitter @misslolabyrd
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