NEW YORK — Stoya penned a column, published by Slate last Friday, explaining "what porn can teach us about self-quarantines."
The semi-retired adult performer, currently scheduled to co-star in an "off-off-Broadway" play in Manhattan, explained how a few weeks ago she was able to calm a fellow actor during rehearsal. The actor was "stressed about a possible shutdown, and the loss of social liberty that might follow."
"It was frightening to him," wrote Stoya.
Her colleague's concerns made the adult industry star, a top performer while she was fully active between 2007 and 2015, realize that she had "a fairly unique perspective in the current novel coronavirus situation."
"As a pornographer," Stoya wrote, "I’m used to 'moratoriums,' as we call them, or quarantines, as the rest of the world is calling this one. An industry advocacy group, the Free Speech Coalition, calls for work stoppages when a positive HIV test comes back from a porn performer. They can last a day or weeks. Given the false positive rate of the tests we use to screen for HIV, and the volume of testing that happens in the professional adult performer pool, I expect one every 18 to 24 months. The system is voluntary, but it’s widely observed by the industry."
"I think my community has some experience here that may be useful for others struggling with systemic uncertainty for the first time."
"We are pros at digital solutions for loneliness," Stoya wrote.
Stoya interviewed Kimberly Kane, Pink & White's Shine Louise Houston, and Kink.com's Mickey Mod about their experiences during work shutdowns.
“YouTube is a wealth of knowledge," Mod told Stoya. "Learning a new skill can be done at your own pace,” he said. The new creative director at Kink.com "built up existing skills like motion graphics and coding, and started learning watercolor during moratoriums."
Stoya's own tips include:
- "Work from really anywhere in your home that isn’t your bed — you want to preserve your sleep routine; sleep is vital.
- "Keep brushing your teeth and bathing as you always do, even if hygiene doesn’t seem like a priority. It’s good for your mental health.
- For those who aren’t working right now, maximize use of free education programs — you don’t know when your next injection of resources is going to be.
- "Get smart about rationing food — eat the perishable stuff first. Again, you don’t know when your next injection of resources is going to be.
- "If you’re co-quarantined with a partner and pregnancy is a potential concern, turn to frottage, hand and fingers, and oral when you run out of condoms.
- "If you’re alone or with platonic partners or family, remember masturbation is a great stress reliever.
- "Stay safe and wash your hands first."
To read Stoya's "What Porn Can Teach Us About Self-Quarantines," click here.
