Derrick Burts, HIV-positive porn actor: 'How many more times does this have to happen?'

Derrick Burts, the adult film performer who tested HIV-positive at a San Fernando Valley clinic this fall, said Wednesday that he thought he would be protected from infection because he used condoms on gay porn sets and was tested before working in straight productions.

Burts, 24, had worked as a “crossover” star in gay and straight films for several months before learning in October that he was HIV-positive. He had last tested negative Sept. 3.

VIDEO: Watch Burts' interview with The Times

He spoke for the first time about his diagnosis Tuesday in an interview with The Times. On Wednesday, he took questions from more than two dozen journalists at a news conference held at the Hollywood headquarters of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

"How many more times does this have to happen before something is done about it?” said Burts, who had been known only as "Patient Zeta" before coming forward to tell his story.

Burts, at times having to pause to gather his emotions, recounted his testing and post-treatment at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks, known as AIM, which caters to the San Fernando Valley-based porn industry.

He disputed statements made last month by  clinic officials that he had contracted the virus in his personal sex life.

He said clinic staff told him he had contracted the disease from a fellow performer who was HIV-positive, described to him as a “known positive.” Burts said he asked them if the “known positive” was a male performer he had worked with on a gay film shoot in Florida, but they told him they could not disclose the performer’s name or gender due to patient confidentiality.

Burts said he suspected he may have contracted HIV at that shoot because although he used a condom, he removed it during some oral sex scenes. He said clinic staff also told him that another male crossover performer had tested HIV positive, unrelated to his case, and also declined to identify that performer.

Clinic officials have not responded to The Times' requests for comment.

Producers of straight porn regularly check performers' test results using a database maintained by the clinic, known as AIM, to clear actors for work.

Although straight porn performers must show negative HIV test results before filming, the gay porn industry does not have the same restrictions. HIV-positive performers may continue working, although condom use is typically required.

Burts, who performed in straight films as "Cameron Reid" and gay films as "Derek Chambers," said his agent urged him to pursue gay porn because it paid better. He said he performed in about five gay film shoots. He said he instructed his agent that he would never work with a performer who was HIV-positive and would always use condoms during intercourse in gay productions, something he said he reiterated on set.

He said some of the larger gay porn producers required testing, and the Florida-based agent who represented him for gay porn required him to use condoms. He said condoms were readily available on set.

“Getting into gay porn, I knew there was a higher risk of getting HIV. So I always made sure I used a condom,” Burts said.

He said did not use condoms on straight porn shoots, but he was tested for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases monthly at AIM.

“Going into this industry, I thought I was getting tested every month, I’m safe,” he said. “It’s not guaranteed that I got it from a gay shoot. To blame it all on the gay side would be wrong. The fact is I tested positive. AIM claims testing protects you. That’s not true.”

Burts and AIDS Healthcare Foundation officials, who have been frequent critics of AIM, said both gay and straight porn producers should require testing and condom use. Burts turned to AIDS Healthcare after he said he was disappointed in his medical treatment at the AIM clinic.

“We’re not saying with universal condom use, the risk is eliminated. We’re saying you can eliminate a significant amount of the risk,” said Michael Weinstein, the group’s president, adding that if a performer is HIV positive, “the person they’re performing with has a right to know.”

He said the group was not calling for porn performers to use condoms during oral sex scenes.

After Burts tested positive, he said he supplied AIM staff with the names of about a dozen performers with whom he had worked, including some well-known stars, who were placed on a quarantine list while they were tested.

Clinic officials have since said that none of the performers on the quarantine list tested positive.

Burts had advertised as an escort but said he never worked as one. He also told The Times that after his diagnosis made news, someone posing as him posted false accounts of his behavior on an online message board.

During the time he worked in the porn industry, Burts said he only had sex outside of work with his girlfriend, a fellow porn performer who has tested negative.

RELATED:

HIV-positive porn actor was told: 'You're not going to make any money if you wear a condom'

Porn performer who tested positives speaks for the first time

Porn actor with HIV didn't infect any other adult performer, clinic says

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Hollywood

Photo: Derrick Burts, 24, said he tested HIV-positive in October at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks after working in both gay and straight porn films for a few months. He had previously been identified only as Patient Zeta. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Tom]

Porn is a high risk business regarding HIV or other diseases transmitted via the exchange of bodily fluids. Anyone going into that business knows the risks. This man is just another who had lots of fun doing lots of acts, and now he expects sympathy?

[O.]

Fact is the owner of the porn films should be held accountable period. PROTECTION SHOULD BE WORN WITH STRAIGHT OR GAY SEX PERIOD. This is the 20th century and should of never happened. Did we not learn anything from the 80's out break?

[marcus fenix]

porn is just nasty this proves porn is not good but its good if u want aids but i dont so porn is natsy

[marcus fenix]

porn is no good this proves it

[stevedave]

working in coal mines carries the risk of collapse. working on a boat carries the risk of capsize. working as an electrician carries the risk of electrocution.

his job happens to be more fun, and because the risks of that job came to fruition, he is less deserving of sympathy?

[Juanita Verdugo]

Is it really worth the money that porn stars are making in risking getting HIV? To me health is your first priority and you should take care of it.

[vishvish]

"How many more times does this have to happen before something is done about it?"

Uh, you've been having gay sex, and straight sex with multiple partners, it actually only takes one careless sexual encounter to get this disease. It's pretty much playing russian roulette, so I guess that answers his questions..

This person knew exactly what the risks of his profession are, yet he continued to do it because he liked the easy money, which is why he went into gay porn, it paid better.

No one is responsible other than these "performers." These people freely elected to participate in risky behavior, and this is but one of the possible consequences. I read somewhere this performer also tested positive for gonorrhea, herpes, and a couple of other venereal diseases in the past year, if that wasn't a warning, I don't know what was.

[terry jackson]

Anyone that has unprotected sex, is flirting with danger. It does not matter if it is the porn industry or a bar pick-up or even that person that you knew when you were in
high school.
as far as the porn indutry is concerned being tested once a month means nothing. You get tested today and it is negative, but you contract the disease tomorrow, then there are 30 days when you are passing the disease to others.

[Kittybarfola]

Is he naive? The porn industry: the producers, financial backers, directors, etc. doesn't care if these actors get HIV, they're a dime a dozen and highly expendable. If one gets infected, then they just replace him with somebody else. There is no conscience in this industry.

[SFTraveler]

I don't think this guy is looking for sympathy. He seems to want universal standards to reduce the risk of this happening to anyone else. More performers need to take a stand and the industry must insist not only on testing but on condom use. Condoms may not be effective 100% of the time but reducing the risk of HIV infection at every opportunity is well worth the effort.

[SFTraveler]

I don't think this guy is looking for sympathy. He seems to want universal standards to reduce the risk of this happening to anyone else. More performers need to take a stand and the industry must insist not only on testing but on condom use. Condoms may not be effective 100% of the time but reducing the risk of HIV infection at every opportunity is well worth the effort.

[Doug]

OK.... he has "Protected" gay sex, and unprotected hetro sex. And he is blaming the hiv on the gay sex? (well mostly he says) Hello??? And fact is, (check with the CDC) there have never been any confirmed hiv transmissions by oral sex. So wake up Mr Porno guy!! You had massive unprotected sex. I would be looking there!!!!

[gern]

Let's shut down the porn industry altogether. It's a sick business even when people are not contracting life-threatening diseases.

[Zapper]

Well, the best thing we can do now is just pray for him that he beats this. There is hope and all life is a lesson. There are solutions if you are willing to spend the time looking for them.

[ponch]

OK... so nobody else have tested positive... WHY is he saying that he got it there?
maybe he got it from a one night stand or a cheating girlfriend, heck, maybe caught it in the air (not really, but who knows from where).
the point is... he knew the risks, now deal with them.

[Flip Side Up]

Berts had a girlfreind and a boyfreind outside of his porn job that he had sex with. Come on? How much sex does Bert need? Bert said in one week he could have worked with a dozen or so performers? Plus his bf and gf on top of all the paid sex he is having? that is just gross and in humane..Bert contracting hiv should have happend a lot sooner than it did.

[Carlos]

It's unfortunate when anyone contracts HIV. But it will eventually come out that Derrick is lying to save his relationship with his girlfriend and hurt the gay porn industry. The statement that "he suspected he may have contracted HIV at that shoot because although he used a condom, he removed it during some oral sex scenes." is too convenient, since the chances of contracting the virus from ingesting semen is very, VERY rare. In fact, he would have to have bleeding gums or open mouth sores for make the needed blood-to-blood transfer. I think he had regular unprotected anal-receptive sex behind his girl's back and thought frequent testing would keep him "safe". Or he could just blame his profession.

[Chief Redelk]

Very sad,,, risky behavior... I have passed up a lot of hot sex and never had a STD... What is best, to have had a lot of hot sex or be healthy in your older age? I prefer to grow old and rock my grand babies..

Sex is not what it's cracked up to be.. Outside of love and romance it's cold and empty...We need to change the way our society thinks.. Do we really need the Porn Industry ?

This kind of thinking is one reason so many people all over the world hate us..

We don't need to become bible thumper's to learn good healthy life styles..
Morals are not reserved for the religious..
Morals are learned behavior which have proved to help a society run smoothly and more happy in the end result.. We may not like them but we need them.

We do reap what we sow and our Karma will seek us out.. All of us have taken risk of some sort.. Some of us are just lucky, some are not..

Bless this poor guy..BUT learn from his mistakes..

[Larry]

The re:solve AIDS project is raising money to get a promising AIDS vaccine through human testing so that it can be produced and made available to the public. Check it out http://ResolveFromCDF.org