A sudden increase of HIV infections within the adult movie industry could lead to health regulations, sources say. But porn industry officials warn that such moves could push the $12-billion-a-year industry “underground.”

Last Thursday, a report in the The Los Angeles Times revealed that a porn actress had tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation confirmed this report, but would not release the woman’s name. This public disclosure led porn industry officials to claim that this had been the first reported case of HIV in their industry since 2004. But Los Angeles County Health officials dispute this, saying that there have been at least 16 other (though unpublicized) cases of HIV among porn performers since that time.