By G. Zisk Rice

YNOT EUROPE – A London-based adult studio group has teamed with a local National Health Service branch to provide discreet sexual health screenings and advice for performers.

The clinic, set to open March 14, will take place every Thursday from 17:00 to 19:30 at 55 Bondway in Vauxhall. Nurses from nearby 56 Dean Street in Soho will staff the effort. Appointments are not required, and the clinic’s hours may be extended based on public demand.

Established by multifaceted gay adult company Eurocreme Group, the clinic is the first to represent a collaboration between an active porn studio and the UK’s national healthcare trust. Eurocreme Events Manager Lee Redpath said the whole thing came together surprisingly quickly.

“From planning to implementation, it took a few months,” Redpath said. “The NHS met with me late last year to discuss the idea, and after a few internal meetings they came back enthusiastic about [the proposal]. Having a steady flow of sexually active people coming through our doors is normal practice here, so we have a close relationship with the staff at Dean Street. That made the process much easier.”

56 Dean Street Nurse Michael Underwood backed up Redpath’s analysis.

“We are proud to be a part of the innovative Eurocreme Clinic, which encourages gay porn actors to have regular sexual health screenings in a safe environment at the studio,” he said. “Sex should be fun and safe.”

The clinic will not be restricted to only gay performers. Anyone is welcome to stop in, Redpath indicated.

“The clinic will be open to all,” he said. “Gay men, lesbians, straight men and women are all welcome to make use of the service; we won’t turn anyone away. The nurses will see whoever comes through the door, even those who are not in the sex-worker industry. We went into this with the sex workers in our industry in mind, but realistically, some of our models are straight men so we thought it would be best to appeal to all those wanting to use a sexual health service.

“What we are aiming to do, actually, is to bring better awareness of sexual health whilst still encouraging enjoyment and exploration,” he added. “There’s no reason for a health screening to be daunting. The catchphrase we came up with is ‘Sex, Fun and Safe!’”

The services on offer will include full sexual-health screenings, complete with an instant HIV test. The nurses are well-trained and experienced, Redpath said, and they’re happy to offer advice about any sexually related health concern. In addition, they fairly overflow with information about best practices.

Even better: Patients will pay no fees, as the NHS is government-funded.

“The people coming along do not have to pay for any part of their visit, including the HIV instant tests,” Redpath said. “It’s a great excuse to get tested, as I know some clinics in central London can charge hundreds of pound to have a instant HIV test.”

Most impressive about the clinic, though, is the quality of the medical personnel who have agreed to participate. Each is non-judgmental and caring, Redpath indicated. The nurses honestly want to see patients happy, healthy and sexy, and they’re very good at providing assistance in case of less-than-optimal test results.

Eurocreme plans to supplement the nurses’ knowledge and assistance with a sexual health booklet the company created.

“It features real Eurocreme models,” Redpath said. “It’s fun and gives a brief look into ways of making ‘sex fun and safe.’”

The question of health certificates some studios require before allowing performers to work remains a bit up in the air at present, though Redpath hopes to hear a determination from NHS by the time the clinic opens.

“I am waiting for the NHS to get back to me regarding certification,” he said Friday.

For more information about the clinic, email Redpath.