Derrick Burts began work in the porn industry in Los Angeles in June of 2010. He then became the center of controversy when his HIV positive status was released and in turn shut down several adult film sets due to fears of contracting HIV.
Courtesy AP: The boyishly handsome 24-year-old, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, broke down in tears while recalling the frustration he felt after his diagnosis.
There have been contradicting stories about whether Burts contracted HIV from sex on the job or within his personal life. Burts says a clinic traced the source of his infection back to a performer he’d shared scenes with, but the clinic states it was his personal encounters that brought about the infection.
Burts said he used condoms during his performances but that "aren’t foolproof". Condoms are standard in the industry, although there has been a huge rise in the popularity of "bareback" adult films in recent years.
Burts said he became worried about the business after contracting chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes in only the first month of work, but that others convinced him to keep working. He is now speaking up publically for the first time in an effort to revise the way adult films are run.
Before you consider having unsafe sex, read his story.
